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Catalogue published to honor late cultural helmsman Dr. Chen Chi-lu

  • Date:2020-04-27
Catalogue published to honor late cultural helmsman Dr. Chen Chi-lu

To mark the 98th anniversary of the birth of late cultural pioneer Dr. Chen Chi-lu (1923-2014, 陳奇祿), the National Taiwan Museum (NTM) and National Taiwan University's Department of Anthropology jointly published a catalogue of Dr. Chen's illustrations of indigenous artifacts on April 27. Titled "A Dexterous Drawing-hand: Dr. Chi-Lu Chen's Ethnological Artwork (神手奇畫:陳奇祿院士民族學標本圖繪)," the catalogue offers an in-depth look on his lifelong research of Taiwan's aboriginal lineage.

Shedding light on the motivation behind the publication of Dr. Chen's invaluable research materials, Deputy Minister of Culture Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) said the idea to document and preserve Dr. Chen's manuscripts and drawings began in 2007, when Hsiao served as NTM director. Hsiao also took the opportunity to thank Dr. Chen’s family members and supporters including Justice Huang Horng-shya (黃虹霞) who made the publication possible.

NTM Director Hung Shih-you (洪世佑) said that regardless of background and age, readers should all be able to enjoy this fascinating collection. The catalogue serves as a window to the Tainan-born scholar's anthropological research through his 53 hand-drawn sketches of indigenous material culture, Hung added.

Meanwhile, Lin Kai-shih (林開世), director of NTU's Department of Anthropology, said the catalogue represents an important academic legacy that will help the next generation of teachers and students at his university gain better understanding of the prestigious anthropologist's achievements.

Beitou Museum Director Lee Saa-lih (李莎莉), who is Dr. Chen's former student and editor-in-chief of the newly published catalogue, said the 53 sketches covered 279 objects of indigenous material culture, of which 190 objects are now preserved by NTU, while the remaining 89 items are mainly based on Dr. Chen's two tribal-themed books and sketches drawn during field research.

While the catalogue demonstrates how Dr. Chen was at the forefront of understanding the cultural context of different indigenous groups in Taiwan, it also includes old photos of him and his field notes. In addition, the publication offers readers a glimpse of how the dedicated scholar is remembered by providing fond anecdotes from his close friends and colleagues, including scholar Ma Yi-kung (馬以工) and cultural preservationists Chiu Siou-tang (邱秀堂) and Li Chien-lang (李乾朗).

Born in 1923, Dr. Chen had received numerous awards for his outstanding contributions to Taiwan's overall arts and cultural development. He was tasked with the establishment of the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA, 文建會), the predecessor of the Ministry of Culture, and served as its first commissioner.

During his tenure as inaugural CCA commissioner, he had laid a solid foundation for the cultural governance of Taiwan through drafting cultural development blueprints, promoting art and cultural events, and nurturing talents in related sectors. More information on the first-generation cultural helmsman of post-war Taiwan is available here.