12.5.07

traditional art of laquer


Beijing, Fuzhou and Yangzhou are the cities leading in the production of Chinese lacquerware.

a Ching Dynasty Lacquer Box
Beijing lacquerware starts with a brass or wooden body. After preparing and polishing, it is coated with several dozen up to hundreds of layers of lacquer, reaching a total thickness of 5 to 18 millimetres. Then, engravers cut into the hardened lacquer, creating carved paintings of landscapes, human figures, flowers, and animals. It is then finished by drying and polishing. Beijing lacquer objects are in the forms of chairs, screens, tea tables, vases, and other furniture.

Yangzhou lacquerware is recognized not only by its carvings but also by exquisite patterns inlaid with gems, gold, ivory, and mother of pearl. The products are normally screens, cabinets, tables, chairs, vases, trays, cups, boxes and ashtrays.

Fuzhou is well-known for "bodiless lacquerware", one of the "Three Treasures" of Chinese arts and crafts (the other two being Beijing cloisonne and Jingdezhen porcelain). The bodiless lacquerware starts with a body of clay, plaster, or wood. Grass linen or silk is pasted onto it, layer after layer, with lacquer as the binding agent. After the outer cloth shell has hardened, the original body is removed. The shell is then smoothed with putty, polished, and coated with layers of lacquer. After being carved, it becomes the bodiless lacquerware of extremely light weigh and superb finish.

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