Page 54 - Scholarly Works of Art Hong Kong Sothebys March 3 2019

idiosyncrasy is mentioned by the 18th century French Jesuit Museum of Art, New York, included in the museum’s recent
missionary Père d’Incarville who observed how Chinese exhibition Cinnabar: The Chinese Art of Carved Lacquer, 14th
lacquer artisans were required to strip off nearly all their to 19th Century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
clothes while working with the material to prevent dust 2017. The Palace Museum in Beijing possesses ten pieces
and fibres from settling on the wet lacquer and ruining the by Lu in its collection with two brown-lacquer ink-slab boxes
coating. The chemical process of polymerisation of the illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
lacquer coating required a constant heat of around 30°C Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong
with a humidity of 85%, conditions that prevailed in southern Kong 2006, nos 188 and 189 (fig. 1), the latter made in the
China naturally but were re-created in the north by pouring qisha technique; and three further examples of boxes are
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water over hot rocks like in a Western sauna today. The included in the Zhongguo Qiqi Quanji [Complete series on
lacquering process itself required several days, weeks Chinese lacquer], vol. 6: Qing, Fuzhou, 1995, pls 199-201.
or even months to complete because each of the micron Seven objects, including the present figure of Guanyin, two
thin layers of the lacquer would take many days to cure. sand-lacquer ink-slab boxes, a black lacquer inlay decorated
Its fashioning demanded patience, precision, a high level pipa and three lacquered teapots, are discussed in Wang
of technical know-how, as well as creativity and artistry. Shixiang and Yuan Quanyou, ‘Yangzhou ming qigong Lu
Historically, lacquer workshops operated under a system Kuisheng he ta de yixie zuopin [On the famous lacquer
of division of labour, with the Master Artisan (zaogong) craftsman Lu Kuisheng from Yangzhou and some of his
overlooking the work of the core carver (sugong), the works]’, Wenwu / Cultural Relics, 1957, no. 7, pp. 9-13. For
lacquerer (xiugong), the topcoat lacquerer (shanggong), the further examples see Zhang Yan, ‘Wan Qing Yangzhou qiqi
touch-up artisan (qinggong), the design painter (huagong) yiren Lu Kuisheng zuopin wenjian lu [Records of Works by
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and the gilder (tong’er huangtu gong). We have no details of the Late Qing Lacquer Artist Lu Kuisheng from Yangzhou],
how the Lu family workshop operated but it must have been Gugong Bowuyuan yuankan, 1992, no. 1, pp. 44-8; and
along the above mentioned principles. Zhuang Heng, ‘Jiexiao Qing Lu Kuisheng liangjian you jinian
de qigong zuoping [Introducing two recorded lacquer works
The fashioning of lacquer figures, such as the present by the Qing dynasty Lu Kuisheng], Wenwu / Cultural Relics,
Guanyin, employed the technique known as jiazhu, whereby
layers of fine cloth strips wet with lacquer are applied 1989, no. 12, pp. 88-9.
to a wood core in order to help create a detailed three-
dimensional form. The sculpture is then painted and gilded. 1 See William Theodore de Bary, Sources of East Asian Tradition: Premodern
Jiazhu was used for wood-core dry-lacquer sculptures as Asia, vol. 1, New York, 2008, p. 255. For a comprehensive study of Guanyin
well as for hollow-core dry-lacquer figures, by which the see Chun-fang Yu, Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokiteshvara,
core was removed just after the sculpture was completed. New York, 2001.
A famous example of the former is the 6th century seated 2 See Wang Shixiang and Yuan Quanyou, ‘Yangzhou ming qigong Lu Kuisheng
he ta de yixie zuopin [On the famous lacquer craftsman Lu Kuisheng from
Buddha figure in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, Yangzhou and some of his works]’, Wenwu / Cultural Relics, 1957, no. 7,
examined in Donna K. Strahan, ‘The Walters Chinese Wood- p. 11.
and-Lacquer Buddha: a Technical Study’, The Journal of 3 See Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Hong
the Walters Art Gallery, vol. 51, 1993, p. 106. Strahan notes Kong, 1986, p. 102.
that the jiazhu method was added to the lacquer carver’s 4 Shi Zhilian, ‘Tan Qing Lu Kuisheng zhi qi wenju xia [A discussion of a
repertoire during the second century when Buddhism was stationery box by the Qing dynasty Lu Kuisheng], Wenwu / Cultural Relics,
introduced to China. Buddhist images began to be made 1989, no. 12, p. 87.
using this lacquering technique. Early texts record a master 5 See Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, op.cit., p. 102.
sculptor called Dai Kui (d. 395 CE) who was known for 6 See Wang and Yuan Quanyou, op.cit., p. 13.
his great skill at fashioning lacquer Buddhist sculptures. 7 On the health hazards of Chinese artisans working with lacquer see Antony
Thus, the jiazhu technique is recognised to be very difficult, Barbieri-Low, Artisans in Early Imperial China, Seattle and London, 2007, pp.
time consuming and expensive, and historically has been 100-1.
associated with the best lacquer artists in China. 9 8 Ibid., p. 79.
For examples of works by Lu Kuisheng see a large red and 9 Donna K. Strahan, ‘The Walters Chinese Wood-and-Lacquer Buddha: a
black lacquer folding screen decorated with the scene of Technical Study’, The Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, vol. 51, 1993, p. 107.
birthday celebration for General Guo Ziyi in the Metropolitan

52 SOTHEBY ’S SCHOLARLY AND IMPERIAL WORKS OF ART