The70th-anniversaryretrospectiveexhibitionisstructuredaroundthreemainthemes—MarchingwiththeTimes,HarnessingthePowerofArtsandCraftsandOfferingaTributetotheNation.
TheMarchingwiththeTimessectionshowcasesaseriesofpieceswithdistinctivecharacteristicsofdifferenteras—fromtheearlydaysofthefoundingofthePeople'sRepublicofChinawheneverythingneededrebuildingtothevitalitythatfollowedthereformandopening-upandtheprosperityofthenewera.
"ThecraftsmenofBeijinghave,throughtheirimmortalskills,capturedmomentsofhistoryandfragmentsoflife,makingthemeternal,"Wangsays.
TheFlower-BasketPlate,athree-dimensionalcarvedlacquerwork,isatthefrontandcenterofthesection,representingabreakthroughinthetraditionalcraftthathasbeenpasseddownfornearly2,000years.
"Withadiameterof38centimetersandathicknessof5centimeters,thepiecebymasterDuBingchenachievesnotonlyarichlydetailedeffectbutalsogreatlyenhancesthethree-dimensionality,spatialdepthandartisticexpressionoflacquerart,"Wangsays.
IttookDu20yearstomasterthehollowcarvingtechnique,whichinvolvesaddingmorethan500layersoflacquertothebrassbaseasopposedtothetraditionaldozensoflayers.
Eachlayerofthebrilliantvermilionlacquerrequires4-5hourstopartiallydry,makingitalengthyprocess.
"Whilethelacquerissemi-dry,intricatedesignsareapplied,followedbycarving,shavingandengravingusingspecialtools,"Wangexplains.
Theplate'scentralmotiffeaturesabamboo-likewovenbasketfilledwithflowers,includingpeonies,peachandplumblossomsandchrysanthemums.