I.Shape of ware（Charm of ware / Tolerance of ware）

Ware is the carrier of the classical spirit of lacquer art,and shape is the foundation of modernism of lacquer art.Two categories of works are selected elaborately in this unit: one is functional lacquer wares for daily use,and the other is solid sculpts of lacquer,which represent double dimensions of language construction of lacquer education,namely,state of handicrafts and vision of artifacts.The former is an intuitive dimension of language practice of lacquer art,and the latter is a rational dimension of language study on lacquer art.

As an intangible cultural heritage,lacquer art is an important part of China's creation history.In Chinese Etymology Dictionary,the word “creation” ，originated from the sentence “How great the creator is ” which was said by great master Zhuang Zi,refers to creation of heaven and earth in general,and later expands to the handmade wares and creations.Therefore,handicraft is the concept of creation in the context of Chinese culture.

Compared with ceramics,lacquer is a kind of viscous liquid which cannot be shaped directly.Even lacquer can be coiled and piled up,which is similar to the shaping technique of pottery,it can be shaped after being stirred with other powders into mud.The adhesion of lacquer liquid is the very nature of lacquer art.The body molding of lacquer ware,including wooden body,bamboo body,pottery body,metal body and other bodies,is a pure kind of lacquer art.Or to be more accurately,wooden art,bamboo art,pottery art and metal processing should be the language foundation of lacquer art to be studied in the first place.In the language of lacquer creation,a history of lacquer art should firstly be a history of body molding of various materials.

Therefore,the inheritance of handicrafts not only requires studies on the lacquer-painted techniques,but also requires learning of shaping techniques of various materials which are used to mold bodies.We should pay more attention to the lifestyle of Chinese people which is carried behind the evolution history of creation,and observe the oriental temperament presented in the creation.Creation is always the inexhaustible spiritual resources and cultural genes of producing lacquer art.

Corresponding to the concept of oriental concept of handicraft,the western artifact is a kind of artificial product from the perspective of philosophy of technology.With human beings'wills,knowledge,capabilities and values,it is the second natural object produced by human beings with use of technology through manual labor.Artifact is a design concept in the language context of western culture.Solid sculpt of lacquer is the extension of the training of three-dimensional constitution,which is the foundation of modern education of lacquer art.With people-oriented goals,it is a comprehensive understanding of objects of lacquer art creation,including their material element attributes,physical structure attributes,intention function attributes and symbolic information attributes.It also fully conducts deduction and innovation of design possibilities,and then comprehensively thinks and makes its choice in works or in involved materials,moldings,shapes,crafts,symmetry,rhythm,balance,colors,functions and other factors of artifacts design.Although the solid sculpt of lacquer reflects the inspiration of sensible intuition,it presents thinking characteristics of rationality and carefulness as a whole,which runs throughout the whole creation process of works.The solid sculpt of lacquer,led by the eight Institutes of Fine Arts,represents the latest achiev-ements in this direction.Li Mingqian,Guo Xiaoyi,Hu Xiushu and Tan Dali are the persistent language researchers in this field.

Through thousand years of ware-making history and directly looking into related exposition of “ware” of the ancient people,we may restore the soul of oriental ware-making.“Ware makers lay emphasis on Xiang”（The Great Treatise）.What is the meaning of “Xiang”? In “The Book of Changes,the conception of Xiang has the following meanings: explicitly indicate an object; personate one object to show meaning,and indicate numbers,such as seven days,eight months,three years,ten years,etc.”[1]“Xiang” implies the meaning of “symbol”[2]，making “ware” become the imagery of vigor and spirit not just has fulfilled the usage or a beautiful “ware”.Who says the “ware” of lacquer ware: to its inside is only to hold…to its outside is only to become a tool[3].Small “ware” is easy to be filled with.If we limit the concept of “ware” to a narrow scope of ware for use,the space for spiritual deduction is worth questioning.

As culture heritage,lacquer art is rich language treasury for contemporary lacquer art.It is a tool of creation instead of a purpose of creation.Human scale is easily lost in the vast tradition of medium,especially the longer tradition is and the more complicated the craft is,the “ware” concept of Chinese spirit is easier being overwhelmed by the “ware” concept of craft.

The biggest difference between the great artisans who invent the lacquer art and the ordinary artisans is the concept of “ware”.“Ware” mentioned in The Tao Te Ching（The Book of Tao and Teh） is not less than ten times.“Rub up china clay into ware; only the hollow part of ware plays a role of function”，this ware is a utensil; “the holy ware in the world”，this ware symbolizes the power and also can be understood as “this is a holy utensil on earth”; “ware” of Lao Zi is filled with great imagination; ware of heaven and earth can hold all things; “the diffusion of Pu will become wares”，this ware not only refers to all wares made by human beings,but also refers to inner material world which includes spirit,society,cultural patterns,etc and enters a philosophical reflection of taoism and appliance; “the most complete thing is of no corners,the larger ware to fabricate,the later to form shapes ”，this ware refers to great talent in a narrow sense; “ware” of Lao Zi not only directly refers to appliances and utensils,but also relates to great kindness and wisdom and directly reveals human feelings and human nature as comparing people with ware is full of wise thought.

“Metaphor Ware” is different from “Functional Ware”.Another view on “ware” deeply rooted in Chinese traditional culture is: appearance,regard highly and trust,tolerance and knowledge,tolerance,think highly,talent and appearance,ability,tolerance,aptitude,tolerance…it should be mentioned that people's feeling,dispute and profound thought are the subject of ware,and humanistic care,benevolence and depth of thinking are important measurement of contemporaneity of “ware”.

Soetsu Yanagi who is a Japanese scholar and founder of folk crafts,after inspecting the lacquer ware in Arayashinmachi,wrote: they not only are lacquers,but also a good hand at making body molding by using carpentry turning lathe.As these lacquer wares are made in col and most of them are daily-used wares; therefore,the lacquer ware here enjoys village atmosphere instead of great reputation like in Wajima and Aizu.However,for me,there are no other lacquer ware production areas where I have great expectations.Compared with any famous production area,there are a lot of products that are attractive to me.The reasons are concluded as follows: The reason why I hate Japanese products is that they are produced too beautiful and turned into icy,uninteresting and lifeless products.It shows great skills,but it brings about huge losses as well.[4]Whether the judgment of this Japanese aesthetician is aesthetic fatigue which is caused by uniformity or whether he is disappointed because he cannot feel the human's temperature of “ware” and abundant emotion?

Certainly,lacquer art as language will express and show human's mental state.Japanese exquisite lacquer art is the reflection of Japanese national spirit; visual effect such as smooth,luster and bright is exactly the fruit of Japanese spirit that is meticulously in pursuit of refinement,and a “ware” metaphor of human disposition of refinement.Such temperament is not exclusive to foreign countries.Although we can try many forms under the surface layer of plain paint,the popular aesthetic consciousness is directed by unidirectional aestheticism.It should be said that the spirit domain expressed by contemporary art cannot be replaced and covered by several temperaments.In recent years,material experiment from round and smooth material to square and coarse material conducted in lacquer art circles reflects re-selection and self-expression of medium language by the contemporary spiritual direction.

Chinese lacquer art in modern and contemporary times is developed in the cultural fault produced by social upheaval.Therefore,retrospect of traditions has become a performance of cultural consciousness and confidence of lacquer artists,and a research trend of ancient artifacts in the field of lacquer art in recent years.The reproduction of Chinese zither in Tang and Song Dynasty by Liang Yuan and Wang Yaxiong,the exploration of ancient furniture by Chen Jie,the extensive collection and exploration of ancient artifacts by Zheng Lei and Zhao Jianwei,the experience of Zhang Cheng's carved lacquer ware by Chen Qinli,the attempt of integration of ceramics and lacquer art by Xiao Chuanbin,the study of ancient artifacts by Li Zhouwu and other researches all present enough respect and cognition of China's creation tradition,and reflect due manner of a contemporary lacquer artist to his ethnic culture.There are two important cases deserved to be mentioned.One is Zhong Sheng.He starts from Kintsukuroi to contact tradition,and dialog with predecessors and show respect to tradition in the process of repair and restoration.He subtly influences the repair of Kintsukuroi of full ceramic and the repair of half-porcelain and half-lacquer wares,and finally achieves reconstruction of pure lacquer wares.His worship of tradition is like imitating calligraphy everyday,which is step by step but more and more profound as time goes on.The other is Gan Erke,who is away from the hustle and bustle of lacquer field to practice lacquer art.His worship and inheritance of traditional wares is rigorous and elaborate.From single petal,several petals to dozens of petals,his petal-shaped boxes are covered with adequate seal from any directions.Every process,including body molding,ashes brushing and polish,is conducted almost perfectly,and is figured out and learned from artifacts of various dynasties.In terms of lacquer-painted decoration,he gilds several layers of gold foils in the traditional pineapple lacquer of Tunxi,which makes the traditional pineapple lacquer more noble and exquisite.

The construction of the mother tongue of China's lacquer art is a creation process full of Buddhist mood towards passing on techniques,teaching artistry and realizing the philosophic theory.The techniques,artistry and philosophic theory are special observation of Chinese people on creation,which is felt from the intuitive dimension of oriental handicrafts: eyes and hands,heart and articles,style and character,wares and theory and other traditional essence.On the basis of being familiar with the ware concept of the creation,we should cultivate the spirit of the ware.We should not only transcend the beautiful,flowery and exquisite style which is popular in the field of Japanese lacquer art,but also seek forceful,ancient,bold,wild,peculiar,extraordinary,bleak,vigorous,and rich cultural traits and profound spiritual resources of China's traditions,thus making China's own voice in the field of lacquer art which is occupied with Japanese and western lacquer wares and brands.

Promoting the language construction of China's lacquer art from the double dimensions of handicrafts and artifacts makes it possible to realize the modernity of China's lacquer art.