The National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan will launch a two-year exhibition to showcase more than 550 crafts of different art forms from Jan. 21 through Dec. 18, 2018.
The exhibition will change themes regularly to display different collections spanning that of wood, bamboo, weaving, lacquer, ceramics, and metal. Among the exquisite collections, the key highlight "Dragon Candleholder (蟠龍燭臺)” will make a rare appearance after its last public display six years ago.
"Dragon Candleholder” is made by Koji pottery master Yeh Wang (葉王), the first Koji potter on record in Taiwan. The National Center for Traditional Arts had taken lots of efforts to finally collect the item. It was designated by the Ministry of Culture as a national treasure in 2016.
Different from a common candleholder used to decorate temples, "Dragon Candleholder” is an exquisite craft that is both practical and artistic. The dragons swirled around the holder is garnished with patterns of rippling water and clouds. It reflects people's imagination of a dragon's power in causing winds and rains.
The relief on the candleholder is glazed in antique yellow and blue, with the classic color that Yeh is best known for - carmine - decorating the main holder to make it delicate and splendid. The national treasure was designated as such because it showed the mature and deft technique of Yeh.
The exhibition will display various works by other craft masters as well, including Li Song-lin (李松林) and Huang Gui-li (黃龜理). Some rare crafts such as a six-legged wooden bed, a turtle shell-shaped rain hat, and a silky, golden-embroidered wedding gown will also be presented.
To pay homage to Taiwan's artisans of the first post-war generation, interviews of artists who carry the distinction of being "National Living Treasures” - Wang Ching-shuang (王清霜), Chen Wan-neng (陳萬能), Li Bing-gui (李秉圭), Chang Xian-pin (張憲平), and Lin Kuang-i (林洸沂) - will be screened to show their life stories and journeys of creation.
Additional interactive installations will also be offered to allow visitors to color an old painting of children playing in the garden, and scan images on the screen to learn about children's entertainment in ancient times.
Free Chinese, English, and Japanese audio guides will be available to help visitors understand the traditional arts of Taiwan in depth.
'The Best Craft Art in Aesthetics: Exploring 100 Years of Taiwan Craft Art'
- Date: Jan. 21, 2017 - Dec. 18, 2018
- Venue: The National Center for Traditional Arts
- Address: No. 201 Wubin Rd, Section 2, Wujie Township, Yilan County, Taiwan (ROC)
- Website: www.ncfta.gov.tw