Chinese Lacquerware: a magnificent handicraft with 7000 years of history

Introduction

Lacquerware describes objects made of wood, metal, or just about anything similar which have been covered in a liquid made of shellac or melted resin flakes dissolved in alcohol (or a synthetic substance), which forms a hard protective smooth coating when dry which remains relatively light in weight. The ancient Chinese artists used the sap of the tree Rhus vernicefera (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), which was native to eastern and southern China and was sometimes referred to as the 'Lacquer Tree'. The resin is drained from a cut in the living tree and becomes an opaque white liquid in contact with the air. Lacquer existed in many colors by adding certain chemicals to the resin, for example, black was made by adding carbon, yellow by adding ochre, and a brilliant red was achieved by mixing in mercuric sulfide (aka cinnabar). These were the three most popular colors in ancient Chinese lacquer painting.

It is an excellent anti-corrosion and anti-rust paint with the properties of not easy to oxidize, acid resistance, alcohol resistance, and high-temperature resistance, and is used to paint buildings, furniture, electric wires, broadcasting equipment, etc. It can also be used to make accessories.

Toxicodendron vernicifluuwas also known by the common name Chinese lacquer tree

History

Over the longstanding Chinese history, numerous treasures and heritages have been left behind, among which lacquer art is a brilliant one. China is the earliest country in the world to use natural lacquer. In the early 1970s, archaeologists unearthed a red lacquer wood bowl in an excavation of the Neolithic Hemudu remains in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. It is estimated that the bowl was made 7,000 years ago, the oldest existing lacquer ware in the world. This discovery suggests that natural lacquer was used to decorate the surfaces of household utensils in the Yangtze River valley of China as early as 7,000 years ago.

Neolithic Hemudu culture vermilion lacquer bowl on wood (Image Source: Zhejiang Museum, China)

Starting from the Neolithic era with red lacquered wooden bowls and painted pottery, the art of lacquer in China developed rapidly during the wartime (770-256 B.C.) and Han dynasties (206-220 A.D.) due to the increased productivity of the time. According to historical records, lacquer trees were widely cultivated during the Warring States period (770-256 B.C.). The famous philosopher Zhuangzi, the founder of Taoism, was an official overseeing the lacquer garden. At that time, lacquer was considered as important as daily necessities such as hemp, mulberry, fish, and salt, and the craft of lacquer was significantly improved.

Excavations show that lacquerware during the Warring States period (770-256 B.C.) had greatly surpassed its predecessors in terms of variety, production, and distribution range. During the Warring States period (770-256 B.C.), lacquerware was used in all areas of society, including everyday utensils, musical instruments, burial vessels, and even weapons. The Chu people living in Hubei loved the red color and made a large number of red lacquer ware.

Painted Lacquer Xox in the form of a mandarin duck

Period: Warring States(770-256 B.C.) (Image Source: Hubei Museum)

Painted Hagoromo Shikigami pattern Lacquerware Period: Han Dynasty (206-220 AD)

This lacquerware was excavated from the Han tomb of Zhanzhuang in Yizheng City, Jiangsu Province, and is now in the Yizheng Museum. The front and back of this lacquerware are full of painted clouds and air patterns, blue dragons, white tigers, feathered figures, and so on, which is extremely artistic. The tiger-like beast in the picture is gorgeous in color, with an open attitude, exuding the vigorous atmosphere of the Great Han.

Craftsmanship

The process of making lacquerware is quite complicated, and in ancient times, lacquerware has always been about "a hundred miles and a thousand cuts to get one or two pieces of lacquer". In other words, you have to travel 100 miles and cut 1000 knives on the lacquer tree to get one or two pieces of lacquer. For the production of lacquerware, the first step is to make the body. The tire is made of wood, but occasionally ceramic, copper, or other materials are used. Cured lacquer is also used to carve the body directly without a tire. After the body is completed, the lacquer artist uses a variety of techniques to decorate the surface, including lacquer picking, painting, portraying, engraving, polishing, and hundreds of other processes.

Lacquerware is known for its tedious process: to make a cup, it takes a hundred hands; to make a screen, it takes the work of ten thousand people. The process of making lacquerware is so complicated that there are more than twenty processes from selecting materials, molding, and painting to the finished product. The production and drying process is very time-consuming, so it often takes several months to complete a piece, and the finished product needs to be sealed in a dark room for a longer period.

Lacquerware Tea Set

A red-brushed gardenia disc, dynasty: Yuan dynasty, collection of the Palace Museum

Lacquer Beads

The texture of lacquer beads is warm and delicate, with a remarkable feel, high surface gloss, and high hardness, which can generally be made into literary strings or crafts, and natural lacquer beads are recognized worldwide as the "king of coatings", belonging to a natural resin coating.

The craft of making lacquer beads began in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) and flourished in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.). The process of making large lacquer beads is described in the "Record of Painting" written by Huang Cheng, a famous lacquer worker in the Ming Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912 A.D.) and (1912-1949 A.D.) the Republican period, lacquer beads were already well developed.

The process of creating lacquer beads by hand is very tedious, with dozens to hundreds of processes, and the production cycle can take as little as two months or more to several years. Natural lacquer, wood embryo, gold foil, silver foil, inlay, eggshell, lacquer powder, and other natural environmental materials are used. After repeatedly applying lacquer, drying, polishing, pushing light, wiping green, and other production processes to make shiny and gorgeous works. The lacquer beads are shiny and beautiful, not afraid of water, not deformed, not faded, strong, and temperature resistant.

After wearing lacquer beads on the body regularly, it can reduce one's mental stress, relieve irritability and tension, bring one's mood to a relaxed and happy state, enable one to maintain a calm and peaceful attitude in life, and also enhance vitality and immunity, which is more beneficial to health.

Maintenance Method

Lacquerware in the collection should be careful to avoid sun exposure, smoke, and the collection room humidity and temperature should not change sharply, to avoid dry and wet, it is best to put the lacquerware in a temperature and humidity are relatively constant room. In addition, do not put the lacquer ware too close to the ground, and do not put it on the floor of the pavement sponge, because of the ground moisture, the sponge's water absorption and strong, long placed on the ground easy to make the artifact mold off the lacquer.

If the surface of the object is stained with dirt, detergent can be used to clean or gently wipe with cotton gauze dipped in a little cooking oil. If there is dust accumulation, available chicken broom and soft brush gently clean, or wipe with the cotton gauze.