Lacquerware

Lacquerware are beautiful objects covered with a special shiny coating called lacquer. These objects can be small, like cups, or large, like furniture. Before putting on the lacquer, people might paint pictures on the object, add shiny pieces of shell, or carve designs into it. Sometimes, the lacquer is sprinkled with gold or silver dust to make it even more special, like in the style called Hirameji.

Lacquerware collection, China, Qing dynasty

Many countries in East Asia, such as China, Japan, and Korea, have long traditions of making lacquerware that go back thousands of years. The most famous type of lacquer comes from the sap of a tree called Toxicodendron vernicifluum. Other plants and insects are also used to make different kinds of lacquer. People in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Americas also have their own ancient ways of making lacquerware. While true lacquer only comes from Asia, some other methods, like Japanning in Europe, are sometimes called lacquer too.

East Asia

The oldest lacquer tree found is from the Jōmon period in Japan, 12,600 years ago. The oldest lacquerware in the world, small ornaments from tombs, were found in the early Jomon period at the Kakinoshima site in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. Many old lacquerware pieces have been found in China from the Neolithic period.

During the Shang dynasty (around 1600–1046 BC) in China, lacquer became a special and artistic craft. In the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC), many lacquerware items were made.

In the Tang dynasty (618–907), Chinese lacquerware used gold or silver sheets in shapes like birds, animals, and flowers.

Museum display of lacquered furniture and furbishing. Lacquerware became a common luxury item from the Warring States to the Han dynasty.

Chinese lacquer methods spread to Korea and Japan during the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties. In Japan, the art of lacquerware came with Buddhism and other culture from China through Korea in the 8th century. Carved lacquerware came to Japan from Ming dynasty China in the 14th century.

Chinese lacquerware

Japanese lacquerware

Lacquer painting from the Northern Wei dynasty.

Main article: Japanese lacquerware

The word for lacquer in Japan is urushi (漆), which is part of the English word "urushiol". Japanese lacquerware often uses special Maki-e techniques.

People in Japan used lacquer as early as 12,600 BC, in the Jōmon period.

During the Asuka and Nara periods, between the 7th and 8th centuries, Japanese artists learned from Chinese lacquer art. In the Heian period (794–1185), new Maki-e techniques were created.

Male figure wearing Hanfu robes, from lacquerware painting over wood [zh], Northern Wei period, 5th century AD

The Edo period (1603–1868) saw more lacquer trees being grown and new techniques developed.

Ryukyuan lacquerware

Main article: Ryukyuan lacquerware

Ryukyuan lacquerware is a special art form from the Ryukyu Islands (now Okinawa Prefecture of Japan). It is different from lacquerware from nearby places, but it was influenced by Chinese and Japanese styles.

Korean lacquerware

Main article: Najeonchilgi

The word 'Najeonchilgi' combines two words: ‘najeon’– meaning mother-of-pearl, and ‘chilgi’ meaning lacquerware. ‘Najeon’ is the shiny inner layer of a shell. The Three Kingdom period (57 B.C. – 668 A.D.) saw the start of this craft, and it grew during the Shilla period (668–935 A.D.). The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) was a golden time for this art, influenced by Buddhism.

Southeast Asia

Burmese lacquerware

Yun-de is lacquerware in Burmese, and the art is called Pan yun. The lacquer comes from the sap of the varnish tree, or Thitsee, which grows in the forests of Myanmar. This sap is straw-colored but turns black when exposed to air. When applied, it creates a hard, glossy surface that resists moisture and heat.

Lacquer items such as bowls, boxes, and trays are made using bamboo strips mixed with horsehair for the base. The lacquer is mixed with ashes or sawdust to form a putty-like substance. Layers of this mixture are applied to create a smooth surface, which is then polished and engraved with colorful designs. Some pieces use gold leaf to fill in the designs. Popular themes include palace scenes, tales from the Jataka, and signs of the Burmese Zodiac. These items are handmade, often taking several months to complete, and are the result of teamwork.

Vietnamese lacquer painting and lacquerware

Sơn mài is a painting style in Vietnam that began with artists in Hanoi in the 1930s. The Ecole des Beaux Arts in Hanoi started a lacquer department in 1934, leading to the development of new techniques. These innovations helped turn lacquerware into a respected art form.

After Vietnam’s reunification, lacquerware nearly disappeared, but the government began supporting it again in the 1980s. This support led to a revival, and today, Vietnam produces many beautiful lacquerware items.

South Asia

Main articles: Shellac and Lac (resin)

In India, people have used a substance called shellac for a very long time. Shellac comes from a tiny bug called the lac bug. It is used to give wood a nice finish, make beautiful decorated objects, and protect surfaces. Very old texts mention shellac and its many uses.

Americas

The Barniz de Pasto technique comes from Pasto, Colombia and dates back to the Pre-Columbian era. It uses the resin from the Andean mopa-mopa shrub. This resin is chewed into thin layers and put on surfaces like wood, metal, clay, or glass using heated stones. People used this method on wooden drinking cups a long time ago.

Mexican lacquerware, called laca or maque, grew in a different way from Asian lacquer. Long before now, people mixed aje scale insect larvae with chia seed oil. They used this to decorate things like dried gourds, especially cups for special people. After the Conquest, this method was used on European-style furniture. New ideas from Asian lacquerware came with the Nao de China. Today, you can find lacquerware workshops in places like Olinalá, Uruapan, and Chiapa de Corzo. Small boxes are very popular.

Main article: Mexican lacquerware