Celebrating Artistic Collaboration: Reviving Ancient Chinese Craftsmanship

Celebrating Our Artistic Collaboration: Fan Jianjun and Qiu Fanzhi Reviving Ancient Chinese Craftsmanship

Ci Porcelain take immense pride in collaborating with talented artists dedicated to preserving and reviving the lost arts of the Han and Tang dynasties. Among our esteemed partners are a passionate young couple who have mastered ancient techniques to recreate stunning traditional artifacts.

Their journey is a testament to their commitment to cultural heritage and innovative spirit. By integrating these timeless crafts into modern designs, they bring a unique blend of history and contemporary aesthetics to our collections.

Meet the Artists

Fan Jianjun and Qiu Fanzhi have committed themselves to the meticulous study and revival of ancient Chinese craftsmanship. Their work not only showcases the intricate beauty of traditional arts but also emphasizes the importance of cultural preservation.

Fan Jianjun and Qiu Fanzhi

Qiu Fanzhi's Maki-e works

Achievements and Recognition

Fan Jianjun made history in 2017 by winning the Design Award at the prestigious Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition, becoming the first Chinese artist to receive this honor. Additionally, a ring box created by both artists was also selected for the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition, showcasing their exceptional talent and dedication to the craft.

"If you want to do lacquer work well, it definitely doesn't align with modern life rhythms," they say. They typically work 12-hour days with little rest throughout the year. Creating a single piece often takes one to several years, and the lifespan of these items is measured in centuries. A visit to Sanbao Village reveals these lacquer artists' dedication: "Bringing something that seems like a living fossil back to life and into everyone's view is the life I want."

--Fan, J.

The Revival Process

In 2019, after completing their training, Fan Jianjun and Qiu Fanzhi naturally moved to Jingdezhen, setting up their studio on the third floor of a building in Sanbao Village, with friends' studios occupying the first and second floors. Although space was tight, sharing the building eased financial pressure. Both artists can complete the entire lacquerware process, with Fan specializing in body making and Qiu in Maki-e, an art derived from Tang Dynasty's late gold engraving technique.

Fan Jianjun, hailing from Shandong, does not see himself as an artist but as a craftsman—a lacquerware maker. After earning a degree in industrial design, he decided to study at the Wajima Institute of Lacquer Arts in Japan, the only national institution systematically teaching lacquer techniques, becoming the first Chinese to systematically learn lacquer body making there.

Qiu Fanzhi in studio

Chinese ancient craftsmen created works admired by the Japanese. However, after the Republic of China period, lacquer body making in China declined. Many lacquer pieces from the Mawangdui Han tomb were made using the qumu technique, now lost in China. Fan Jianjun learned this technique from Hisao Ohba, a Japanese Living National Treasure in the field. This technique is highly resistant to deformation, even in desert conditions.

This summer, Fan met Nie Fei, the head of a National Social Science Fund project on Mawangdui lacquerware, and explained the principles and difficulties of the qumu technique to her. He also gained valuable information about Mawangdui lacquerware.

Fan & Qiu Lacquerware Studio

The Han Dynasty text "Discourse on Salt and Iron" mentions that a single lacquer cup was worth ten bronze cups and required the efforts of a hundred people to make (Zhongbo & Ning, 2008). The qumu technique demands high-quality wood with straight grain and no knots, typically found only in canyon trees growing straight towards the sunlight. The wood must be naturally dried and split along the grain.

Mawangdui Yunlong Pattern Lacquer Plate

The process involves planing the ends of thin wood strips to join seamlessly, soaking them in water, and carefully bending them. Large bodies require dozens or even hundreds of rings, each calculated for circumference and fitted perfectly. Despite lacking modern tools, Han Dynasty craftsmen produced incredibly stable bodies.

Fan, J. (2019). Qumu core lacquer plate

Fan Jianjun is now preparing to fully recreate a Tang Dynasty lacquer crown chest using the qumu technique. He and Qiu Fanzhi, who both have a research-oriented approach, often turn client commissions into lacquer art research projects. The Tang Dynasty lacquer crown chest started as a custom order for a lacquer box but turned into a research project when they discovered its unique, deformation-resistant design, making it a marvel of wood body craftsmanship.

Fan Jianjun's wooden tire works

To make a wooden frame, thin both ends of the wood strips very carefully

They call their studio "Fan & Qiu Lacquerware Studio" and strive to combine client work with their passion for lacquer art research. The Tang Dynasty lacquer crown chest, stored in the Shosoin Repository, is the only perfectly round object of its kind, surviving 1,200 years without deformation—a testament to its exceptional craftsmanship.

Reproduction of Tang Dynasty lacquer crown, semi-finished product

Seeing the potential, Fan Jianjun dreams of a complete recreation. He began with tools, some of which are no longer available on the market. Fan drew the blueprints and sought out master craftsmen in Jingdezhen to forge them. The preparation of woodworking tools alone has taken him over six months. 

references

Fan, J. (2019). Recreated a Buddhist offering table from the Shosoin Treasury. In "A couple born in the 90s revives lost Han and Tang craftsmanship: Living life at their own pace." Retrieved from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s4cfb9d1a0e089&scene=27#wechat_redirect