Craft

Length:20.8 x Width:23.8 x Height:4.4 (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 rectangular box features a flat lid with beveled edges, a fitted rim, straight sides, and a flat base. Both the interior and exterior surfaces, including the inner base and lid, are coated with black lacquer. The interior walls and base are further decorated with a red-splattered pattern. The lid showcases a goldfish rendered in the duizhu (carved cinnabar) technique, created by applying multiple layers of red lacquer and carving the details of the fish’s scales and eyes with a knife. Flowing water plants frame the fish above and below, with leaves and stems painted in green lacquer and gold lines accentuating the veins. In the upper left corner of the lid, Chen’s signature appears in cinnabar-red regular script, enclosed within a square seal.

Accession number:20170300171