One of Taiwan's first showings of modern jewelry will open at the National Museum of History in Taipei this May. To make the occasion unique, this will be a one-man show by Liu Wann-hong, a member of the National Palace Museum staff, who in a few brief years has attained international eminence in the art of jewelry creation and craftsmanship.
The range of Liu's talents is exceptional. He is an authority on Shang bronzes. He creates pictures in metals. He is an expert on art forms for weaving. He is even a master of Chinese cuisine and has managed the National Palace Museum cafe in his spare time. All this and jewelry, too!
Liu Wann-hong is the son of Dr. Liu Chi-hung, former president of National Chengchi University and currently vice president of the Examination Yuan. The younger Liu went to Southern Illinois University in the United States, presumably to study political science. That was his father's wish. But Liu Wann-hong was not interested in politics and government. He switched to mathematics. That wasn't quite right, either. Finally he discovered the SIU School of Fine Arts and knew that he had found a home. He received his master of fine arts degree in 1970.
Returning to Taipei with his wife and two children, he joined the staff at the National Palace Museum, which houses nearly a quarter of a million of China's great art treasures. He took up residence near the museum in Shihlin. A third child was born to the Liu family after his return.
The work of Liu Wann-hong tends to represent a departure from many traditions of Chinese jewelry designing. He expresses his talent through the use of gold and silver wire - twisting, winding, knotting and braiding his material into a new form of macrame. Donald Willcox, an American authority, lists Liu Wann-hong as one of the world's leading jewelry designers in his book Jewelry - International Perspectives. Seven illustrations in the volume are of Liu' s creations. Willcox writes:
"Wann-hong Liu is both a private craftsman and a research associate at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Much of his official work is devoted to the study of the Shang bronzes - not only finding out how they were made, but also restoring and attempting to reproduce them with the same techniques. Wann-hong has often found an application for his research in his own work."
Dr. Arline M. Fisch, professor of art at San Diego State University, is equally lavish with praise in her book Textile Techniques in Metal.
Liu's work is featured in the latest book on modern jewelry: Jewelry Techniques. The author is Oppi A.J. Untracht of Finland. Many of Liu Wann-hong's newest pieces of jewelry are shown in photographs.
Liu's contributions to an understanding of ancient Chinese artifacts are significant. The National Palace Museum has 4,402 bronze vessels in its collection. Two years ago Liu wrote in the National Palace Museum Bulletin: "The musical instruments, weapons and vessels for water, wine and food cast of bronze during the Shang, Chou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods comprise the highest quality of ancient Chinese artifacts. These bronze implements also represent a crystallization of Chinese culture, as the technical skill evidenced in their smelting and casting, the artistic beauty of their forms and decoration, and the intellectual sophistication of their inscriptions stand as a unique tribute to the wisdom and creativity of the ancient Chinese people. It is a great pity that this great bronze art declined in the Han dynasty and has never recovered the greatness of the Shang and Chou."
Three years ago under the direction of Liu Wann-hong, the National Palace Museum established a workshop for the study and reproduction of bronze vessels. One of the objectives was to discover the mysteries of the ancient smelting and casting processes and to determine whether these methods can be duplicated with modern techniques. That objective has been achieved.
It still is not known when or how the discovery of bronze was made in China. The ancient artisans were aware that when copper ore is smelted, the copper oxidizes rapidly, resulting in a rough surface on the finished piece. Several thousand years ago someone discovered there were distinct advantages in smelting pure copper with tin to create bronze. The melting point is lower, the color of the finished product is more attractive and the grain of the metal is finer.
In his studies, Liu Wann-hong supervised the testing of the ancient bronze vessels to determine the component metals. It was found they contained, in addition to copper, tin and lead, traces of iron, nickel, antimony, arsenic, sulfur, silver, gold and zinc. The proportions varied from vessel to vessel. The variations resulted in differences in color, reflection, hardness and texture. The qualities of color and reflection in the ancient vessels also have been affected by thousands of years of exposure to air and burial conditions that created a layer of colored patina.
The National Palace Museum is able to reproduce not only the design and metal composition of the ancient vessels but also the patina resulting from age and storage conditions. Visitor to the museum will find these reproductions on sale at prices ranging up to more than US$250 for some of the larger pieces. All of the reproductions are made in the workshop under Liu Wann-hong's supervision.
In his article, he explains how it is done:
"We have made reproductions of vessels through the piece-mold process. As established by archaeological data, the piece-mold process is one of the earliest techniques developed by all bronze-age cultures. The classical evolution of early cultures followed the pattern of moving from a 'stone age.' through a 'pottery age' to a 'bronze age.' Because pottery vessels are made from fired clay, early peoples were aware of the durability of pottery, and it is natural that after the discovery of copper and bronze casting they would use molds of fired clay to cast bronze vessels. In the area known as the Wastes of Yin, thousands of fragments of piece-molds have been excavated. Judging from this archaeological evidence, the piece-mold process was the most important casting technique in early China."
In the museum workshop, the first step in reproducing an ancient vessel is to spread liquid rubber (silicone) on the surface of the vessel to be copied. When the silicone, with the addition of a catalyst, hardens, it can be removed from the vessel. The silicone negative mold is filled with plaster of paris paste. When the plaster of pares dries, the silicone mold can be removed, leaving a positive solid-core model the exact size of the original vessel. A mixture of clay and water is formed into slabs which are pressed against the sides of the model.
When the clay has dried, the pieces are removed from the model. After measuring the precise size of the inside of the model, a core of baked clay is made to fit inside the mold. If the inner surface is to bear an inscription, soft clay is used for the carving. The workshop uses several techniques for casting. One is the lost-wax process. In use as long ago as 2230 B.C., this technique is quite simple. A positive model is molded in wax and soft clay is applied to form a negative mold, leaving openings for vents. When the mold is heated, the wax melts and runs out through the openings. Then the molten metal can be poured into the space left by the wax. Other methods include clay molds and plaster of pares molds.
The workshop has experimented in devising new techniques for smelting and casting. The ancient Chinese used wood or charcoal fires. The museum uses an electric furnace. Tests show the best temperature for pouring bronze is 1950 degrees Fahrenheit. Liu Wann-hong explains the piece-mold process is the most effective for studying the techniques of the ancient Chinese artisans. It is not satisfactory, however, for faithful reproductions because the clay is subject to shrinkage when fired. He concludes that most of the vessels cast in ancient eras must have been smaller than the original models.
The bronze reproductions are on display at the museum and can be compared with the original vessels. The ordinary visitor cannot detect the difference.
Liu Wann-hong's home near the museum is an impressive art exhibit in itself. His metal "paintings" are as unusual as they are attractive. He has created art objects in wood and in textiles. A collection of his own jewelry is equally appealing.
In the last quarter century, Taiwan has produced a number of artists whose fame has spread far beyond the borders of the Republic of China. Painters such as Ran In-ting have achieved world recognition and have blazed new trails in Chinese art. Liu Wann-hong has earned a place in this select group, and more remarkably, has achieved world recognition in six years.