Chinese lacquerware box from the Qing Dynasty, Museum für angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany.

Carved lacquerware box from the Qianlong period, Qing Dynasty, 1736-1795, National Museum of China, Beijing.

Lacquerware is objects which are decoratively covered with lacquer which is sometimes inlaid or carved. Lacquerware includes boxes, tableware and even coffins painted with lacquer in cultures mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 654 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Graved Red Lacquer Box Qing Dynasty Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt am Main (Germany) Photographer:user:Dr. Meierhofer Date: 15. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 654 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Graved Red Lacquer Box Qing Dynasty Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt am Main (Germany) Photographer:user:Dr. Meierhofer Date: 15. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... The Museum of Applied Arts or just MAK, a short version of its German name Museum für angewandte Kunst is located in Frankfurt, Germany and exhibits more than 30. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1833 KB)Lacquer box with children, from Qianlong period, Qing Dynasty, 1736-1795, from National Museum of China, Beijing, PRC. Photo by Andrew Lih. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1833 KB)Lacquer box with children, from Qianlong period, Qing Dynasty, 1736-1795, from National Museum of China, Beijing, PRC. Photo by Andrew Lih. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... The National Museum of China, a four-storied main building with two symmetrical wings, runs more than 300 meters north and south along the eastern side of Tiananmen Square. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ...

History

Chinese Song Dynasty five-lobed tray, lacquer on wood with a metal rim, 11th-12th century.

Lacquer and producing lacquerware had been known to the Chinese since at least the Warring States (403 BC-221 BC) era in China. This can be seen in the existing lacquerwares produced, mostly of ritual cups, dishes, and wooden chest boxes with a lacquer finish across the surface. Many of these priceless ancient Chinese or Japanese lacquer artifacts can be found in private collections and museums, such as the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. In Japan, the art of lacquerware-making came along with Buddhism and other cultural artifacts from China during the 8th century, and "carved lacquerware" came to Japan from Ming Dynasty China during the 14th century.^[1] Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Bianjing (汴京) (960–1127) Linan (臨安) (1127–1276) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 960–976 Emperor Taizu  - 1126–1127 Emperor Qinzong  - 1127–1162 Emperor Gaozong  - 1278–1279 Emperor Bing History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou... Alternative meaning: Warring States Period (Japan) The Warring States Period (traditional Chinese: 戰國時代, simplified Chinese: 战国时代 pinyin Zhànguó Shídài) takes place from sometime in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by Qin in 221 BC. It is nominally considered to be the second part of the Eastern... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC - 400s BC - 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 408 BC 407 BC 406 BC 405 BC 404 BC - 403 BC - 402 BC 401 BC... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC - 220s BC - 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC Years: 226 BC 225 BC 224 BC 223 BC 222 BC - 221 BC - 220 BC 219 BC... The entrance to the Freer Gallery. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

Burmese lacquerware

A Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty lacquered wooden box with 3-inch tall painted figures, 2nd century AD.

Yun-de is lacquerware in Burmese, and the art is called Pan yun. The lacquer is the sap tapped from the varnish tree Melanorrhoea usitatissima or Thitsee that grows wild in the forests of Myanmar (formerly Burma).^[2] It is straw-coloured but turns black on exposure to air. When brushed in or coated on, it forms a hard glossy smooth surface resistant to a degree effects of exposure to moisture or heat. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 545 pixelsFull resolution (1872 × 1275 pixels, file size: 365 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 545 pixelsFull resolution (1872 × 1275 pixels, file size: 365 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication to Cao Wei 220... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... Anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw Largest city Yangon Official languages Burmese Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe  -  Prime Minister Soe Win  -  Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein Establishment  -  Bagan 849–1287   -  Taungoo Dynasty 1486–1752   -  Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885   -  Colonial rule...

History

Bayinnaung’s conquest and subjugation in 1555-1562 of Manipur, Bhamo, Zinme (Chiang Mai), Linzin (Lan Xang), and up the Taping and Shweli rivers in the direction of Yunnan brought back large numbers of skilled craftsmen into Burma. It is thought that the finer sort of Burmese lacquerware, called Yun, was introduced during this period by imported artisans belonging to the Yun or Laos Shan tribes of the Chiang Mai region.^[3] Bayinnaung (Burmese: ; IPA: ; lit. ... , Manipur   (Bengali: মনিপুর, Meitei Mayek: mnipur) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... Bhamo is a city in Kachin State in Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital of Myitkyina. ... A street scene in Chiang Mai, showing (centre right), a gate of the old city wall. ... The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang or Lan Chang (Pali: Sisattanakhanahut, Lao: lâansâang, from Sinitic “vast number of elephants”) was established in 1354 by Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara (otherwise known as Fa Ngum). ... Yunan redirects here. ... The Shan are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. ...

Manufacture and design

Burmese lacquerware - a private collection

Lacquer vessels, boxes and trays have a coiled or woven bamboostrip base often mixed with horsehair, and the thitsee may be mixed with ashes or sawdust to form a putty-like substance called thayo which can be scuplted. The object is coated layer upon layer with thitsee and thayo to make a smooth surface, polished and engraved with intricate designs, commonly using red, green and yellow colours on a red or black background. Shwezawa is a distinctive form in its use of gold leaf to fill in the designs on a black background.^[4][5]

Palace scenes, scenes from the Jataka tales, and the signs of the Burmese Zodiac are popular designs and some vessels may be encrusted with glass mosaic or semi-precious stones in gold relief.^[5] The objects are all handmade and the designs and engraving done free-hand. It may take three to four months to finish a small vessel but perhaps over a year for a larger piece. The finished product is a result of teamwork and not crafted by a single person.^[4] The Jataka stories are a significant body of works about the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. ... For other uses, see Zodiac (disambiguation). ...

Forms

A Chinese Ming Dynasty mother of pearl lacquer box, 16th century, Museum für Lackkunst, Germany.

The most distinctive vessel is probably a rice bowl on a stem with a spired lid for monks called hsun ok. Lahpet ok is a shallow dish with a lid and has a number of compartments for serving lahpet (pickled tea) with its various accompaniments. Stackable tiffin-carriers fastened with a single handle or hsun gyaink are usually plain red or black. Daunglahn are low tables for meals and may be simple broad based or have three curved feet in animal or floral designs with a lid. Water carafes or yeidagaung with a cup doubling as a lid, and vases are also among lacquerware still in use in many monasteries. ^[4][5] For other uses, see Ming. ... A piece of nacre Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an organic mixture of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of platy crystals of aragonite and conchiolin (a scleroprotein). ... Lahpet, also spelt laphet, is Burmese for fermented or pickled tea. ...

Various round boxes with lids, small and large, are known as Yun-It including ones for paan called Kun-It (betel boxes). Yun titta are rectangular boxes for storing various articles including peisa or palm leaf manuscripts when they are called sadaik titta. Pedestal dishes or small trays with a stem with or without a lid are known as kalat for serving delicacies or offering flowers to royalty or the Buddha. Theatrical troupes and musicians have their lacquerware in costumes, masks, head-dresses, and musical instruments, some of them stored and carried in lacquer trunks.^[5] Boxes in the shape of a pumpkin or a bird such as the owl, which is believed to bring luck, or the hintha (Brahmani goose) are common too. Screens and small polygonal tables are also made for the tourist trade today. Betel pepper (Piper betle) vines Shopkeeper making Paan in an Indian store Paan, pan (in many Indic languages, हिन्दी : पान ), or beeda (in Tamil) is a type of Indian snack, which consists of fillings wrapped in a triangular package using leaves of the Betel pepper (Piper betle) and held together with a... Media:Example. ... A Hamsa sacred goose reliquary, stupa 32 of the Gangu group, Babar Khana, Taxila, Gandhara, 1st century CE. This Hamsa was found inside a granite bowl, with an inscribed gold sheet stating Shira deposited the relics of her departed parents in the Hamsa. It has a cavity in the middle...

A Chinese lacquer coffin decorated with birds and dragons, from the State of Chu, 4th century BC.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 370 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1200 pixel, file size: 338 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 370 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1200 pixel, file size: 338 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... For people named Coffin, see Coffin (surname). ... State of Chu (small seal script, 220 BC) Chu (楚), originally known as Jing (荆) and then Jingchu (荆楚), was an independent state that existed during Chinas Spring and Autumn period and, subsequently, the Warring States period. ...

Industry

Bagan is the major centre for the lacquerware industry where the handicraft has been established for nearly two centuries, and still practised in the traditional manner. Here a government school of lacquerware was founded in the 1920s. Since plastics, porcelain and metal have superseded lacquer in most everyday utensils, it is today manufactured in large workshops mainly for tourists who come to see the ancient temples of Bagan. At the village of Kyaukka near Monywa in the Chindwin valley, however, sturdy lacquer utensils are still produced for everyday use mainly in plain black.^[4] Bagan (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ), formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. ... Monywa (Burmese: ) is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km north-west of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River. ... The Chindwin River is a river in Myanmar and the major tributary of the Irrawaddy River. ...

Japanese lacquerware

Shikki urushi-ware is lacquerware in Japanese, the sounds of the name Shikki urushi-ware has two meaning of beautiful (uruwashi) and moist (uruoi). As coating lacquer on natural material of wood and paper, craftsmen need certain rather high humidity. In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ...

History

Lacquer and producing lacquerware had been known to the Far East Asia. The history of Japanese lacquer goes back to the Stone Age while Chinese one had been known since the Era of Warring State. The art of lacquerware came with Buddhism into Japan from China. And in the Kamakura period, Japanese craftsman focused on carving the thick coated lacquer of Chinese style. Soon after craftsman thought about carving woods first and coating lacquer later. In such way, Japanese craftsman realized shorten time to make lacquerware and spread over widely in not only among priests of temples but warriors of samurai residences. In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... Buddhism is a variety of teachings described as a religion[1] or way of life. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Kamakura Period. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ...

Japanese lacquerware characteristic of regionCreating and original design

Since the relocation of the capital from Nara, Kyoto, Kamakura and Edo (Tokyo) in the thousand of years were done, variety of lacquerware is found all over the long island of Japan. The first on the list may be Wajima-nuri and Kamakura-bori, because of historical background. Very contemporary lacquerware may be Wagae-nuri, born in the town of Zushi neighbor to Kamakura. Nara can refer to: The city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan The Nara Period of the History of Japan Nara prefecture, part of the Kansai region of central Honshu, Japan Nara is a major Manchu clan. ... For other uses, see Kyoto (disambiguation). ... Kamakura can refer to: Kamakura, Kanagawa, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan The Kamakura Shogunate The Kamakura period in the History of Japan The Kamakura family name in Japan Kamakura Great Buddha, the Great Buddha of Kamakura Kamakura, a fictional character from the G.I. Joe series Category: ... Edo (Japanese: , literally: bay-door, estuary, pronounced //), once also spelled Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... Kamakura can refer to: Kamakura, Kanagawa, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan The Kamakura Shogunate The Kamakura period in the History of Japan The Kamakura family name in Japan Kamakura Great Buddha, the Great Buddha of Kamakura Kamakura, a fictional character from the G.I. Joe series Category: ...

References

1. ^ Akio Haino. Chinese Carved Lacquerware. Kyoto National Museum. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
2. ^ Melanorrhoea usitatissima. die.net online dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
3. ^ D.G.E. Hall (1960). Burma. Hutchinson University Library, 42. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Blurton, Richard (2002). A Path to Burmese Culture: The Art of Lacquer. The British Museum/Fathom. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Burmese Lacquerware Collection. Art Only (2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-31.

The Kyoto National Museum is one of the three formerly-imperially mandated art museums in Japan. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Japanning
• Ryukyuan lacquerware
• Japanese lacquerware
• Wagae-nuri

Japanese lacquerware is a broad category of fine and decorative arts, as lacquer has been used in paintings, prints, and on a wide variety of objects from Buddha statues to bento boxes for food. ...

External links

• "Lacquerware of East Asia" at the Metropolitan Museum.
• "Lacquerware Stories" at the Kyoto National Museum.
• "An excellent article explaining how Chinese Cracked Lacquer is created"
• Kelly, Kristin. 2001. The Extraordinary Museums of Southeast Asia, pp. 49-54. Harry Abrams, Inc.: New York. [1]
• "Japanese lacquerware", a website about lacquer Wagae-nuri, produced by Michiko Suganuma