On 14 December, Beijing time, the Palace Museum and the J. Paul Getty Trust of the United States held an online ceremony for the signing of a cooperation agreement regarding the fifth "Recent Advances in Characterizing Asian Lacquer" workshop, which is to be held at the Palace Museum.

An internationally recognized institution for collection, conservation, and research, the J. Paul Getty Trust operates the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). The Getty Conservation Institute is committed to promoting the protection of various collections, architecture, and heritage sites on an international scale through scientific research, education and training, field projects, and media and communications.

Over the past ten years, the Getty Conservation Institute has focused its efforts on Asian and European lacquerware analysis projects with an aim to develop a comprehensive scientific analysis method for identifying organic matter in Asian and European lacquerware and researching lacquerware crafts. In order to share the research results of the project, the Getty Conservation Institute has organized a series of workshops on the theme "Recent Advances in Characterizing Asian Lacquer” by recruiting staff engaged in lacquer repair and scientific research for systematic training worldwide. The four preceding workshops were held at the Getty Conservation Institute, Yale University, the Louvre, and the Rijksmuseum.

This cooperation with the Palace Museum was proposed by the Getty Conservation Institute. After years of joint efforts, all terms of the cooperation were finally confirmed, and the agreement was formally signed.

Due to the ongoing epidemic, the signing ceremony was held online. Director Wang Xudong of the Palace Museum along with Deputy-director Zhao Guoying; Yu Ziyong and Lei Yong, head and deputy-head of the Department of Conservation Science; Yuan Hong, deputy-head of the Foreign Affairs Department; and staff from both departments participated in the signing ceremony. Director Timothy Whalen of the Getty Conservation Institute; Tom Lerner, head of the Science Department; Stéphanie Auffret, senior project specialist for Collections; and Lin Boming participated in the signing ceremony on behalf of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

The signing ceremony was hosted by Deputy-director Zhao Guoying, who introduced the two parties and the terms of the agreement. Director Wang and Director Whalen then delivered speeches explaining the necessity and importance of holding a workshop on "Recent Advances in Characterizing Asian Lacquer" at the Palace Museum. They expressed hopes that the epidemic would end soon and for the workshop to be held as soon as possible. Finally, the two parties signed the contract online and took a group photo.

Translated and edited by Kang Xiaolu and Adam J. Ensign