TAIWAN CRAFTS JOURNAL

Mar. 2020 / Vol.76

|Feature

Refurbish the Old Crafts: Good Old Fashion

While a maker only has a limited lifespan, the things he or she makes may be durable. The keyto a piece of craft with cultural story to be passed down generation after generation really is“restoration”.

The restoration of utensils has always been an important subject in the field of crafts. Whether it is ordinary people's living utensils or high-end collections, the restoration techniques that have been developed since ancient times reflect the cultural values and aesthetics of different ethnic groups. In this issue, we try to explore some museum's cultural relic restoration cases and related personnel training issues in recent years in the hope to unveil the mysterious side of restoration to people, while through the restoration stories of ordinary people's artifacts, highlighting the concepts and values of relics, sustainability, regeneration and re-creation hidden in craft restoration.

Craft restoration is not exclusive for only a limited number of people. Rather, it is a kind of power that sustains, coexists with humans and transforms continuously.

Time Traveler: Furniture Restoration Master Chang Chun-neng

In the town of Caotun, Central Taiwan, Chang Chun-neng has been dedicated to the restoration work of old objects for more than 30 years, especially the wooden, bamboo, and rattan furniture that were popular in the past. Yet, He has found a way to sharpen his skills over the years and tries to preserve culture and life memories by restoration. He makes his interest a life career. For him, the restoration of cultural relics is also about addressing strong emotional and memory connections between people and objects.

Rejuvenation of Artifacts - Craftsmanship of Porcelain Restoration of Jhang Ruei-fong

Jhang Ruei-fong, who is into folk art antiques for long, has met the master of Chinese Ching Dynasty style porcelain restoration Wang Zheng-hai by chance and learned a lot from him, therefore opening his own road to restoration. Facing the vast field of restoration, he continues to expand his knowledge and learns various crafts in order to take the very good care of every single item waiting to be repaired. Currently as the residential specialist at the Miaoli Branch of Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Jhang teaches lacquer crafts and porcelain restoration techniques.