The Journal of Ancient Chinese Arts and Crafts (JACAC) is an international scholarly journal published by MSPL. JACAC implements a peer-reviewed, open-access policy for original articles and is published twice a year in both print and online formats. All articles in JACAC are under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND, version 4.0). Copyright for each article belongs to its author(s) and is published by MSPL. 


JACAC is a scholarly platform dedicated to promoting the culture of ancient Chinese arts and crafts, including painting, sculpture, calligraphy, handicrafts, and more. The main goal of JACAC is to share the culture, thought, and theory of ancient Chinese arts and crafts, disseminate ancient brilliant achievements, promote the study of ancient culture, and strive to be a leader in these fields. In addition, JACAC is also a digital platform that promotes scholarly research and exchange. Welcome researchers from different disciplinary perspectives to submit manuscripts in English.

Open Access


Vol 1, 2025

Open Access


JACAC 2025, 3(1), 16-34; https://doi.org/10.59528/ms.jacac2025.0618a10 - June 18, 2025

 

Cunming Zhu * ,  Xinying Xia

by

Research Article
Keywords: The Han Dynasty stone reliefs; Wandering knight’s image; Politics and rights; Culture change

Abstract: The Han Dynasty was an important period in the development of traditional Chinese society, and Han Stone Reliefs are epic images of Han society. By studying images from the Han Dynasty, historians can use visual evidence to support historical claims. The emergence of the Han-painted ranger image is a product of the social and cultural changes of the Han Dynasty, reflecting the political and cultural transformations brought about by the unification of the Han Dynasty. The image of the Han-painted ranger holds symbolic significance in the political and power discourse of the Han Dynasty. Through specific analysis, it becomes evident that the culture of wandering knights in the Han Dynasty was a product of the interaction and integration between official and folk cultures. This cultural dynamic provided the foundation for the inclusion of wandering knights as a theme in Han Stone Reliefs. The article categorizes the images of knight-errant stories in the Han Dynasty Stone Reliefs into two types: one depicting acts of resistance, and the other portraying heroic rescues. These two themes reflect how the image of the knights-errant in the Han Dynasty Stone Reliefs became a unique symbol within the political discourse of Han Dynasty power. Through the study of the ranger image in the Han Dynasty stone reliefs, this paper reveals that these reliefs, as an art form, vividly express the aesthetics and values of the Han Dynasty through their image design. When applied to the artistic form of Han Dynasty stone reliefs, this artistic expression is realized through the narrative function of imagery.


Latest Articles

Research Article
Keywords: Ming Dynasty; Lacquer; The Records of Lacquering; Influence

Zhenji He*      

Open Access


JACAC 2024, 2(1), 28-37; https://doi.org/10.59528/ms.jacac2024.0726a7 - July 26, 2024

 

by

Abstract: The Records of Lacquering《髹饰录》was written in the Ming Dynasty, has been cited by Chinese and foreign researchers as the most classic text in the study of ancient Chinese lacquer art. The book was lost in China during the Qing Dynasty, and it was not until modern times that it was introduced back to China. In addition to the legendary circulation of the Records of Lacquering, the knowledge of ancient Chinese lacquer art recorded in this book is also invaluable. Huang Cheng (黄成), the author of the book, and Yang Ming (杨明), the annotator, are from Xin’an (新安), Anhui (安徽) Province, and Xitang (西塘), Zhejiang (浙江) Province respectively. Although they did not come from the same place and lived in different periods of time, with the frequent exchanges between craftsmen in the Jiangnan (江南) area in the late Ming Dynasty, and the continuous expansion of lacquer production, the related craft knowledge also circulated rapidly. Eventually, these two master lacquer carvers, though in different ages and places, had the opportunity to bring together various popular lacquer art knowledge, which led to the Creation of the Records of Lacquering. It played an invaluable role in the dissemination of traditional Chinese lacquer knowledge.




Call for Articles

JACAC is a scholarly journal founded in July 2023, committed to publishing high-quality, original research worldwide through scholarly publishing, with a peer-reviewed and no-fee open-access policy. The policy ensures that no fees are charged for either authors or readers.

Thematic research articles, literature reviews, and book reviews are the three types of original articles accepted by the journal. The subjects cover these fields of ancient Chinese painting, sculpture, calligraphy, handicrafts, and so on. JACAC aims to share ancient China's arts and crafts culture, thoughts, and theories, disseminate the brilliant achievements of ancient Chinese arts and crafts, promote the study of ancient Chinese arts and crafts, and strive to maintain a leading position in these fields. As both a scholarly resource and cultural bridge, JACAC continues to advance our understanding of these remarkable traditions while making them accessible to new generations of researchers, practitioners, and appreciators worldwide, ensuring that these ancient arts maintain their relevance in our contemporary global context. 

See Instructions for Authors for manuscript requirements.  

Submitting Your Manuscript: jacac-editor@michelangelo-scholar.com; jaca.editorialmanager01@gmail.com

or Online Submission System: https://ojs.michelangelo-scholar.com/index.php/JACAC/submissions

May 7th, 2025


PUBLISHED BY MICHELANGELO SCHOLAR PUBLISHING LIMITED

ADDRESS: ROOM A, 3/F., WING TAT COMMERCIAL BUILDING, 121-125 WING LOK STREET, SHEUNG WAN, HK

TEL: 00852-36197566 

FAX: 00852-36197558; WHATSAPP: +60 11-2370 2845



Keywords: Motifs; Exoticism; Chinese blue and white porcelain; Bird motifs

Abstract: Auspicious motifs evolved from nature worship and totemic beliefs into symbolically rich graphic signs that served cognitive, communicative, and social compartmentalization functions. Between 1573 and 1815, bird motifs from Chinese auspicious designs were introduced to Mexico through Chinese blue and white porcelain exported to the Americas. These motifs became associated with Mexican indigenous cultures, first appearing in the tin-glazed pottery of Talavera, Puebla. They were later widely used in native lacquerware, textiles, and other folk art, symbolizing nobility and exoticism. Over time, these motifs diverged from the cognitive and aesthetic interests of the Spanish patriarchal homeland, ultimately becoming folkloric symbols representing Mexican traditions and appearing in various contemporary Mexican folk artifacts.

by  Fan Liu       * ,  Huamin Wang

Research Article
Open Access


JACAC 2025, 3(1), 1-15; https://doi.org/10.59528/ms.jacac2025.0406a9 - April 5, 2025

 

Research Article
Keywords: Cantonese-style furniture; Structural features; Digital disassembly

Shengfang Peng*      , Wang Liuzhuang      

Open Access


JACAC 2024, 2(2), 1-10; https://doi.org/10.59528/ms.jacac2024.1115a8 - November 15, 2024

 

by

Abstract: The characteristics of Cantonese-style furniture in function, form, construction, materials, and craftsmanship are all products of a specific historical time and space. Based on the investigation of social history, this study uses historical materials and image analysis, interviews with inheritors, 3D scanning, digital reconstruction, dismantling, and other methods to explore the characteristics of the structure of Cantonese-style furniture and analyze its causes by combining elements such as function, form, materials, and craftsmanship. Thus, we can further understand and comprehend Cantonese-style furniture from the perspective of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures and the characteristics of Lingnan local culture and provide evidence for its design and production.