China

by Kenta Takeshige

In China, lacquer is called Da Qi.
Up to now the oldest lacquerware discovered in China dates back to the Neolithic era. During the Warring States period, the production of lacquer had been greatly upscaled, and lacquerware with elaborate decoration appeared for the first time. In those early days, surface decorations were in the form of lacquer paintings "描漆" and inlays. Black lacquer was made by adding carbon to the refined sap, yellow by adding orpiment, and red by mixing in mercury sulfide (cinnabar). These were the colors used in ancient Chinese lacquer paintings; until recent years only a limited number of colors could be produced, because the original color of lacquer outweighs the colors of the pigments.

Chinese lacquer techniques

The origin of "螺鈿" (Mother-of-Pearl or JP: Raden), a technique for inlay of shell pieces on lacquer, is not clear. "脱胎 or 夾紵" (Dry Lacquer or JP: Kanshitsu) is a technique that uses a mold of wood, soil, or plaster. Onto this mold linen cloth was pasted with glue lacquer to make a foundation. This technique appeared in the Warring States period and led to massive production during the Han period. It made it possible to create complex shapes and was also used to create Buddhist statues. The Buddhist statue at Luoyang White Horse Temple, which is considered to be the oldest Buddhist temple in China, was made using this technique. A technique of carving patterns on a lacquered surface with a blade, using lacquer as an adhesive, and dropping gold leaf or gold powder into carved lines, called "鎗金" (Gold Inlay or JP: Chinkin), was developed in the Song dynasty. Many other lacquer techniques also originated in China and spread throughout Asia. All Asian lacquer crafts are based on the lacquer art developed in China.

Carved lacquer

Carved lacquer "彫漆" (JP: Choshitsu) is a lacquer technique outstanding developed in China. In the Han dynasty, "堆漆" (Piled Lacquer or JP: Tsuishitsu) was conceived to form reliefs by repeatedly applying lacquer. This technique continued to develop during the Tang and Song dynasties, adding carving: lacquer was repeatedly covered in multiple layers until it was thick enough to be sculpted and carved. Using red lacquer it is called "剔紅" (JP: Tsuishu), with black lacquer it is called "剔黒" (JP: Tsuikoku). If different colors of lacquer are applied in different layers, then cutting through them would reveal the contrast in color. This technique is called "剔彩" (JP: Kokaryokuyo).

The technique "剔犀" (JP: Guri) was named after the rhinoceros horn. It was called as such because the cross section has a texture effect that is very similar to that of a rhinoceros horn. It depicts bracken-shaped curved patterns.

Carved lacquer was most thriving in the 13th and 15th centuries. Recently, there have been many attempts to practice traditional lacquer art as a contemporary artistic expression.

~Other Chinese lacquer techniques~

※ Names in ( ) are the same or similar techniques in Japan. English translation of these technique names by Takeshige Kenta