Craft

Width:7.5 x Height:15.3 x Diameter:7.5 (cm)

Chen Huo-Ching (1914-2001, Taichung) was a master of lacquer art in Taiwan. After graduating from Chingshui Public School, he apprenticed at the Yamaka Lacquerware Studio in Taichung, where he trained in traditional lacquer techniques. Upon completing his studies, he remained at the studio as an artisan and later taught part-time at the Taichung Craft Training Institute, which eventually became a specialized craft school. Following World War II, Chen worked for the Air Force, where he was responsible for aircraft painting. After leaving this position due to health issues and personal loss, he devoted himself fully to lacquerware creation at home. In the 1960s, a peak period for Taiwan’s lacquerware exports to Japan, Chen served as a technical consultant to lacquerware companies and founded his own firm to fulfill Japanese commissions. From 1984 onward, he contributed extensively to the education and promotion of lacquer art, serving as an instructor at the Taiwan Provincial Handicraft Research Institute and the National Palace Museum. His contributions to the industry were highly influential, and in 1998, he was recognized by the Ministry of Education as a Master of Important Folk Art.
This bottle features a flared round mouth, short neck, gently rounded shoulders, and a bulbous body that tapers toward the base. It rests on a lacquered wooden stand. The vessel was formed using the jia-zhu (lacquerware with ramie cloth) technique, in which a clay core is wrapped with multiple layers of ramie cloth and lacquer. After the core is removed, the hollow structure is decorated. The interior is coated with a non-oily middle layer of lacquer, allowing it to hold water. The exterior undergoes repeated cycles of applying and polishing vermilion lacquer. The lacquer is brushed on in uneven, clustered strokes of varying shades, producing a richly mottled surface that emerges through the final polishing.

Accession number:20170300207