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Fellowship Project
Ms. Xu will spend 10 months (January – October 2027) at the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln (Museum of East Asian Art Cologne; “MOK”) to engage in the restoration of the MOK’s twelve-panel lacquer screen. Centred on the museum’s collections, her research encompasses the systematic cataloging and thematic studies of its lacquer artefacts. She will also investigate the world’s only surviving mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer screen and throne, with efforts dedicated to data compilation and craftsmanship research. By integrating Chinese and German conservation principles, her project aims to establish a long-term academic collaboration platform for cultural heritage conservation between The Palace Museum and the MOK.
Biography
XU Jie, Associate Research Fellow and fifth-generation inheritor of the Beijing Intangible Cultural Heritage Traditional Lacquerware Restoration Mastery, has worked at the Lacquerware Restoration Studio of the Department of Conservation and Restoration, The Palace Museum, since 2015. Her work focuses on the conservation, restoration, and technical study of ancient Chinese inherited lacquerware.
Ms. Xu has participated in lacquerware conservation projects for the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Palace of Eternal Spring, and the Rain and Flower Pavilion, and has restored more than one hundred lacquerware objects in The Palace Museum’s collection. Trained in traditional Chinese painting from an early age, she has extensive expertise in decorative lacquer techniques, including painted and gilded lacquer, mother-of-pearl inlay, carved lacquer, paper-body lacquerware, maki-e, and guqin craftsmanship.
In the field of conservation research, Ms. Xu has led or participated in multiple institutional projects and one national-level initiative. Her research focuses on the conservation and study of ancient lacquerware, as well as the documentation, investigation, and transmission of traditional lacquer craftsmanship.
Recent Development and Achievement
Ms. Xu’s recent research focuses on the manufacturing techniques, conservation and restoration of ancient handed-down lacquerware having published more than ten academic papers on relevant topics.
Ms. Xu has led an in-house project at The Palace Museum, Research on Manufacturing Techniques, Conservation and Restoration of Gilt Lacquerware Collected in the Qing Court, while also participated in a number of key provincial, ministerial and institutional research projects, including Research on the Lacquer Decoration Techniques, Conservation and Restoration of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Conservation, Restoration and Technical Research of the Red Lacquer Openwork Hydrangea-shaped Celebration Lamp, Technical Research, Conservation and Restoration of Collection Mother-of-pearl Inlaid Lacquerware — A Case Study of the Large Black Lacquer Cabinet Inlaid with Mother-of-pearl, and Research on the Inheritance and Development of Carved Lacquer Restoration Techniques at The Palace Museum.
In addition, Ms. Xu took part in the sub-project Research on Value Perception and Key Technologies of Bamboo, Wood and Lacquer Cultural Relics under the 13th Five-Year National Key R&D Program of China.
Selected Publication(s)
