Taiwan
Fun Magazine, February 2003
Beauty
from the sea: A visit to the world¡¦s first precious
coral art museum
By Cheryl Robbins
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Precious coral
(¶Q«ÂE¹B¬À·ä), which ranges in color from white to pink
to deep red, gets its name from the fact that it is not
abundant in nature and, thus, very hard to obtain. It is
found in deep-sea areas and grows in piece form, usually
with fine branches, unlike normal coral reefs (³yÁG¬À·ä),
which are typically found in warm, shallow waters and grow
out in thick branches. Precious coral is used to make art
and jewelry pieces, while some coral reefs are tourist and
diving attractions.
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The
Lucoral Museum, which opened 18 years ago, was the first
of its kind in the world and is one of the holdings
of the Lucoral & Lupearl Corporation (¤jªF¤s¬À·äÄ_¥ÛªÑ¤À¦³¤½¥q).
This corporation was established in 1963 by the Lu family
and originally provided precious coral jewelry for the
domestic market. During the past 40 years, the Lu family
has trained most of the island¡¦s master coral craftsmen,
many of whom have contributed works to the Lucoral Museum.
Today, Lucoral & Lupearl is a multinational corporation
run by the founder¡¦s 11 children as well as their grandchildren,
and includes freshwater and saltwater pearl farms in
mainland China; R&D centers in Taipei and the U.S.;
and two Lucoral museums, the first located in Taipei
and the second located in Hawaii. |
Taipei¡¦s
Lucoral Museum can be found in the basement of the Lucoral
& Lupearl Building on NanJing East Road, near the NanJing
East Road MRT station. The first floor of the building looks
like a typical jewelry store with its bright displays of
pearl, coral, amber, jade, diamond and gold designs. However,
if you look closely at the display windows, you will find
exhibitions by local artists and jewelry designers.
To
get to the entrance of the Lucoral Museum, head to
the back of this showroom to a staircase on the right.
Take the time here to notice a framed cross, made
up of small round pearls. This is a replica of a cross
presented to Pope John Paul II by Lucoral & Lupearl.
The basement itself offers the chance to quietly ponder
beautiful coral sculptures in a variety of colors
and sizes, including the largest precious coral sculpture
in the world.
Many
of the works feature traditional Chinese motifs such
as dragons, laughing Buddhas, the Buddhist goddess
of mercy, Chinese historic figures, peacocks, fish,
banyan trees and miniature teapots. This emphasis
on Chinese designs is no coincidence as coral has
been part of Chinese culture for thousands of years.
It is considered one of Buddhism¡¦s seven treasures
and is thought to be able to keep away evil spirits.
There are also carvings of scenes from Christianity,
including angels and Christ¡¦s crucifixion.
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According
to Executive Coordinator Victoria Lu (§fµØb/¸gÀç¦æ¾P¤¤¤ß¥l¶°¤H),
the first-floor showroom staff has been trained to provide
guided tours of the museum to individuals and groups. These
tours introduce the use of coral in different cultures throughout
the world, the differences between precious coral and coral
reefs, and coral carving techniques. Many school groups
come for the unique opportunity to learn about coral and
coral art, but the Lucoral Museum is also a major stop for
Taiwan¡¦s foreign dignitaries.
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Lu
notes that Lucoral & Lupearl has a very important
education function. In addition to the museum, seminars
and classes are offered in the building¡¦s second-floor
classroom. Past seminar topics have included Egyptian
jewelry, jewelry as an investment, birthstones, and
coral art in Taiwan. Classes include do-it-yourself
(DIY) jewelry making and gemstone identification.
This classroom is one of only two locations in Taipei
that offer courses leading to certification from the
Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory
of Great Britain (^°êÄ_¥Û¨ó·|¹{µo¥þ¥@¬É»{©w¯]Ä_Ų©w°ê»ÚÃÒ·Ó).
Although
Taipei does offer several options for viewing coral
handicrafts, the Lucoral Museum is the pioneer in
coral art exhibitions. This museum is a labor of love
for the Lu family who wish to share the beauty and
rich history of precious coral with all who come to
visit.
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Lucoral
Museum (¤jªF¤s¬À·äÄ_¥Û³Õª«À])
90, NanJing East Rd., Section 3, Taipei (¥x¥_¥««n¨ÊªF¸ô¤T¬q90¸¹)
Tel: (02) 2506-9191
Hours: 9:30 am-7 pm Mon-Sat ; 1-7 pm Sun
Free admission
Website: www.lupearl.com |
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