Lacquer art in China has a long history. The oldest lacquer ware discovered dates back to the Warring States period (403-221 B.C.). The value of a piece of lacquerware only begins with the materials used to make it. A high quality piece of lacquerware requires the skills of several different elements: lacquer, layers, core materials, decoration, colors and design.
漆藝
漆藝起源於中國，歷史悠久。最古老的漆器早在戰國時代（公元前 403至221年）時已經出現。漆器的價值首先取決於製作時的原材物料，而高質素的漆器還要講究以下幾個元素：漆、分層、胎體、裝飾、顏 色、設計和製作流程。
Video Courtesy of Black Elephant Studio
Process making of lacquerware
1/ Lacquer
Natural lacquer should come from the sap of the lacquer tree. The Chinese character for lacquer, pronounced "ch'i" 「漆」 , is pictographic. One of its components, pronounced "mu" 「木」(meaning wood),forms the top part of the word.In the middle two side strokes protrude downwards like taps that have been sunk into a tree. The lower part of the word is formed by a component, pronounced "shui"「水」 (meaning water), which signifies the
flow of sap from the wood.
2/ Layers
Lacquer is applied in numerous thin layers on the surface, each being allowed to dry before the addition of the next.
3/ Core materials
Core materials can be made of wood, leather,bamboo,paper, textiles or even horsehair. Exposed to air, the lacquer forms a plastic coat on the core materials, resistant to water.
4/ Decoration
There are different decoration techniques including carving, engraving,etching, inlaid and gold gilded. All are done by hand with the aid of primitive tools.
5/ Colours
Natural pigments such as cinnabar,orpiment (yellow) and Indigo can turn black lacquer into different colours.