Chinese lacquer has mostly been collected by institutions and museums in the past,while relatively few pieces have found their way to private collectiOns.A comprehensive presentation of a broad spectrum is not an easy task.Dr.Hu Shih—chang lS a long—standing member and an ardent supporter of the Oriental Ceramic Society and in him,we have found the essential scholar to tackle the subject,having made a catalogue of the Lee Family Collection(Tokyo)of Chinese Lacquer exhibition at the Museum of East Asian Art at Cologne in 1990.He is again instrumentaI in bringing pieces from the Lee Family collection,probably the largest and best collection of Chinese lacquer in the world,to the present exhibition.Mr.Sammv Yukuan Lee,over 90 years of age and head of the family,is a pioneer collector in the field,and much respected for his foresight in connoisseurship.Dr.Hu himself is also regarded as a pioneer collector of lacquer in Hong Kong.and we have the opportunity of seeing much of his collection in the present display.He has been ably supported bv his wife Dorcas,and we wish to thank her for her assistance in many organizational aspects to the exhibition.