Furniture of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art are displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. Gold Lacquer Inlay Art, a main category of traditional Chinese lacquer art, has a history of more than 7,000 years. The Beijing gold lacquer inlay art, developing on the basis of the imperial art dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, has formed a classically elegant and splendid Beijing-style. The art has been applied to a wide range of aspects in life, from pillars in ancient buildings, screens, thrones and furniture in the palace, to tableware, tea sets, writing materials and jewelry in people's daily life.
Adopting pine as the body and covering it with natural lacquer, a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork costs at least four months to finish through a series of processes such as color painting, inlaying and carving. In 2008, the craft was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.
Hu Xin, born in 1957, is an inheritor of Gold Lacquer Inlay art. She entered the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Co., Ltd. in 1976 after graduation to learn color painting from senior master Liu Xiheng. Over the 48 years of her career, Hu has achieved a new breakthrough on the craft that paints colors on gold foils. Many of her artworks, winning important prizes in China and abroad, have been collected by the National Museum of China.
Hu has trained about ten apprentices, some of whom have become arts and crafts masters in Beijing. In 2015, the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Co., Ltd. started cooperation with Beijing Arts & Design Technology Institute in training new talents. As a visiting professor, Hu has given lectures every week in the institute since then. In 2019, Hu also set up a studio of her own. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin introduces a masterpiece of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art to her apprentices at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
A Gold Lacquer Inlay Art cabinet is displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
A Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork by Hu Xin is made at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Gold Lacquer Inlay Art artworks are displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin instructs an apprentice on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Gold Lacquer Inlay artworks are displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin introduces a masterpiece of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art to her apprentices at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
The detail of a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork is pictured at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Tools for making Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork are pictured at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
A Gold Lacquer Inlay Art screen is displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)
The detail of a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork is pictured at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
A staff member introduces a Gold Lacquer Inlay Art cabinet to a visitor at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
A staff member introduces a Gold Lacquer Inlay Art cabinet to visitors at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin introduces a masterpiece of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art to her apprentices at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin poses for a photo at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Furniture of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art are displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin (R) introduces a masterpiece of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art to her apprentices at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Hu Xin instructs an apprentice on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)
Hu Xin touches a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
A Gold Lacquer Inlay Art artwork by Hu Xin is displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
An apprentice of Hu Xin looks at a masterpiece of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
A Gold Lacquer Inlay Art jewelry box is displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)
Hu Xin prepares to paint colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Hu Xin introduces a masterpiece of Gold Lacquer Inlay Art to her apprentices at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Hu Xin paints colors on a Gold Lacquer Inlay artwork at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
A Gold Lacquer Inlay Art screen is displayed at the Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
