Chinese Lacquer Ware
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TOPGeneral Information
Since the advent of lacquer ware, it is an art combined with utility and aesthetic appreciation; material civilization and spiritual civilization. In the early time of New Stone Age, paint had great value of utility for its performance of resisting to acid, heat, friction and deterioration and it was easy to wash away, without off-flavor after it was smeared on woodenware and pottery. Meanwhile, it makes the ware light and durable and has high value of appreciation. It does not only have inviting luster but also makes the ware bright and colorful so as to motivate joyful feelings in vision. Therefore, the advent of lacquer brings convenience to people’s life and spiritual enjoyment, which is a big progress in human civilization.
The earliest lacquer was discovered in China. In 1974, archaeologists discovered a red-painted wooden bowl in the third cultural layer of seven thousand years-old Hemudu archaeological site in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. It was known as the earliest lacquer, which proved that lacquer ware was invented by Chinese and it was a great contribution that China made to human being. People around the world still bear in mind this great invention-creation of China nowadays. Mr. Si, the Speaker of International Lacquer culture assembly said: “Lacquer has its own lasting appeal of deepness, stoutness, bonhomie and elegance. Its inebriation and captivation has lasted for thousands of years and arouses the global focus and attention. It is honored as ‘the Eastern Myth’. ”
Chinese lacquer ware includes mural painting, screen, earthing panel, table screen and so on. Lacquer ware is classic of Chinese traditional craftwork, which originates from the War Period, developed in the Han dynasty and the Tang dynasty and culminated in late Qing dynasty. Lacquer engraving technics originated in the Tang dynasty. This technics is complicated but elegant. The knife method is mellow.
Dianluo is made by pasting a kind of refined material and color paint on refined wooden floor, with the characteristic of beauty and utility. Qixiandiao, which is the most ancient craftwork in China, has an elegant sculpt, bright color and magnificent cover, with great value of collection and admiration.
TOPBeijing Lacquer ware
Beijing Lacquer ware appeared at least in the Yuan dynasty. In the period of Ming and Qing, it had been an important ornamentation in palace. After the founding of The People’s Republic of China, Beijing carved lacquer is one of the important presents that our leaders send to foreign guests and also a kind of product to transact foreign exchanges, which then win the great support of the government officials. Thanks to devotion and innovation of the artists in Beijing, the carved lacquer has once won the prizes home and abroad for many times, which shows the world the important status of Beijing lacquer. Beijing carved lacquer, Xiang needlework in Hunan and Jingdezhen pottery in Jiangxi are on a par with each other and has reached the most far-flung corners of the globe, which were honored as “three advantages of Chinese craftwork and fine art”.
Beijing lacquer ware has different sizes. The bigger ones function as an decorative furniture, the smaller one have practical use like bowl and plate, while both are craft work of Beijing style.
There are mainly two kinds of Beijing lacquer. One is carved lacquer, which ages in 14th century AD and has a long history. Carved lacquer can also use copper as the body, and is burnt to underwear enamel. The interface is gilded and the body needs pasting red, green and yellow paint and some need hundreds of layers of paint. It can only be engraved after the paint is dried. There are relief sculpture and hollowed-out sculpture.
Another is golden paint inlay, which is also Beijing specialty and is classified as color painted Goujin, inlayed Luoxi, gold and silver Pingtuo, Kehui and fricative paintings. Both of them are simple but radiant, with the royal vigor.
TOPFuzhoubodiless lacquer
Fuzhou bodiless lacquer was inverted by Shen Shaoan, a famous artist during Qianlong Period in the Qing dynasty. It has three hundreds years of history. Together with the cloisonné in Beijing and Jingdezhen pottery in Jiangxi, they are classified as three Chinese traditional craftworks.
Fuzhou bodiless lacquer has firm and light texture; elegant and chic contour and bright and magnificent luster. It is refined decorated, burly and durable, with unique nationalistic style and strong locality. It is fadeproof and has the advantage of resisting to being fragmentized, heat, acid, alkali and insulation, which has been applied to industrial products.
Fuzhou bodiless lacquer has an elegant and grand contour, light and handy texture, and the luster is as bright as mirror, rich and various ornaments, strong locality and unique nationalistic style. It is in deep favor of clients home and broad. Fuzhou bodiless lacquer is in vogue overseas, and is honored as “precious black gem”.
TOP inlayed lacquer
Yangzhou lacquer has a rich history. As early as the Han dynasty, more than 2000 years ago, it had won the honor all over the country. Based on refined paint, the traditional Yangzhou lacquer is made by emerald, agate, coral, white jade, ivory, rosewood, mica, luminated spiral, gold and silver etc. more than eight hundred kinds of precious materials. The decorated designs on lacquers are the painting and calligraphy of “Yangzhoubaguai” in great amount, which raise the value of artistic appreciation of Yangzhou lacquer.
Yangzhou lacquer is of rich sorts, exquisite craftsmanship, splendid and elegant color, simple and grand contour, combined with aesthetics and utility, vivid locality. According to the contour and use, Yangzhou lacquer falls into three categories: screen, furniture and sundries, in which screen and furniture accounts more than 80% of the total production of Yangzhou lacquer. According to the technics of ornamental craftworks, there are ten sorts, in which carved lacquer inlayed with jade, Pingmoluoxi and Dianluo are the major three ones which rank the best over the country and are famous home and overseas. Yangzhou lacquer has won the big prizes home and abroad for many times and been selected as the presents for the leaders to visit other countries.
TOPTianshui lacquer
Tianshui lacquer is produced by refined wood and paint combined with coral, agate, pearl, shell, etc. precious materials in the technics of the traditional engraving and filling and stone inscription crustification in Tianshui in Gansu province.
Tianshui lacquer is made by exquisite craftsmanship, grand and simple, with stereoscopic impression. And there are many other designs in reference with Dunghuang mural painting and Maiji Mountain, etc. ancient arts, with strong nationalistic style.
TOPChengdu lacquer
Chengdu lacquer is also named as “Lu” lacquer and famous for its long history, exquisite, splendid and mellow luster and florid designs. Chengdu lacquer originates in Shang, Zhou, which is more than 3000 yeas so far, culminates in the War period, the Han dynasty and the Tang dynasty, lasting for the Song dynasty, the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty. Chengdu lacquer now has been on the recommended list of the first national non-material cultural heritage as “ Folk craftwork”.
The lacquers produced in Chengdu have wooden body, flax bodiless paper body, etc. The contour is slinky and elegant, with handy technics, as transparent surface, as bright as the mirror. In addition, veiled design, latent design and portray ,etc new technics diversify lacquers. “Diaohuatiancai”is the main characteristics of craftwork. The artists use knife as writing brush and carve all kinds of designs on the bottom of the bodies then fill them with color paints, burnishing and polishing them for many times.
Chengdu lacquer is mainly produced in Chengdu Lacquer craftwork factory, which lies in NO.81 in Xigan Golden River Street in Chengdu. Their main products are lacquer screen, saving box, reproduction of excavation and lacquer painting art works.
TOPPingyao glassing lacquer
Glassing lacquer is an advanced lacquer ware of craftwork and is well-known for hand glassing. The famous craftwork in Shanxi is Pingyao glassing lacquer. It has a simple and elegant external appearance, bright and glittering. The painted decoration is resplendent and magnificent. It feels smooth and well-lubricated, durable, heat and damp-proof. It is the competitive products of lacquer.
Pingyao glassing lacquers are, in great amount, advanced screens, hanging panels, television cabinets, wardrobes of all sizes, cocktail cabinet wine cabinets, corner cabinets, show boxes, jewelry boxes, etc. The first layer of paint is mainly in inkiness, rosy red, apricot, green and purple. Then the designs of nationalistic style are painted on, such as the characters in the classical novels, plays, ancient legends and myths, etc. either by gold drawing or color drawing or graduating with cutter or engraving and inlaying . Then the palatial products have smooth lines and mild hue.
The material of Pingyao glassing lacquer is from the plant-lacquer tree, which is called “Old lacquer” or “Big lacquer”. The process of production is very unique. First, select fine wood material, make it into the body of the lacquer, fill the aperture with pig blood and brick dust. Then past it with natural polishing, repeat this for several times. After that, dip benne oil, hand it till the luster, draw the picture with gold and color paint, then it appears the designs of water and mountain, birds and beasts, pavilion, rare plants and flowers, etc. Glassing lacquer glitters like the mirror, and is also called “Gold lacquer furniture”. With a polishing surface, exquisite design, bright color, the drawing contrasts by vigorous and soft, it is light but firm, resistant to heat and damp, with unique nationalistic style and strong locality. It can be used for appreciation and decoration, and has practical use as well.
TOP Metal craftwork
Metal craftwork is a special category of Chinese craftwork art, mainly including cloisonné, enamelware, enchased filigree, bornite craftwork, tin craftwork, iron picture, gold and silver adornment, etc.
(1) Cloisonné
Cloisonné is a special craftwork of Beijing. It culminated during Jingtai period in the Ming dynasty. It gains the fame “cloisonné” by the main color of blue.
The technics of cloisonné flourishes during Qianlong period in the Qing dynasty. Cloisonné enjoys good fame home and abroad. It once won the first prize in International Fair in Chicago, USA, and the one in Panama World’s Fair in 1915.
The design of cloisonné is made by pinching fine and oblate brass wires, weld them on the copper body, then fill in color ceramic glaze and burn it. The products are dazzlingly brilliant resplendent and magnificent, with strong, soberminded, gorgeous and elegant characteristic. They include vases, bowls, plates, wine sets, smoking sets, lamps and lanterns, sugar bowls, spice boxes, trophy cups, birds and beasts, etc. more than 60 kinds.
TOP Enamelware
Enamelware is also named “Copper body enamel”, the sisters of cloisonné in metal craftwork. The difference is to past a layer of white ceramic glaze on the copper body instead of pinching wires. Then it can be painted with the glaze after burning. With twice or three times of filling, it needs burning, gilding and polishing after modification.
Enamelware emerged later than cloisonné. The earliest enamelware existing is “Color locus bowl ” and “Color peony with carpathite cling pot”, etc. during Kangxi period in the Qing dynasty. Qianlong period is a thriving times for the production of enamelware. The design focuses on the ornament of nationalistic style. In the process of polishing, they pay attention to apply the techinics of Chinese painting. And the color drawing use bright red and pink as grounding, looking like frost ,glittering and exquisite.
Beijing enamelware has two major groups. One is enamelware with engraved gold ornament, which belongs to the advanced craftwork; the other is enamelware without engraved gold ornament, belonging to popular ware. There are lots of kinds of Beijing enamelware, vases, plates, bowls, dishes, lamps, wine sets, smoking sets, stove, tripod, jue, xun, hanging vases, etc. Beijing enamelware is tribute in the Qing dynasty.
TOPEnchased filigree
Enchased filigree is also named “fine metal craftwork”. It is made of gold and silver, etc. inlayed with all sorts of gems, pearls or by weaving. It is classified as two groups: filigree, which is made by gold and silver wire, filed and weaved into craftwork; Enchasing is to beat the gold and silver piece into containers, then engraved into designs and inlayed with gems.
The techinics of Enchased filigree has emerged in Spring and Autumn Period, culminates in the Ming dynasty, further develops in the Qing dynasty. Many of them are famous nationwide and become the tributes.
Enchased filigrees in Beijing and Chengdu are the best. Beijing Enchased filigree advances in weaving and pileup and frequent in the technics of Diancui, which pastes the blue and green feathers of green birds to the gold and silver ware. Beijing Enchased filigree once won the excellent design prize in Southeastern Asia jewelry contest.
Chengdu Enchased filigree is mainly in silver wires, in the form of bodiless frequently. In Chengdu Enchased filigree the technics of bluing, inlaying gold and silver are of unique characteristics. They mainly include vases, fruit plates, smoking sets, tea sets, hanging vases, jewelries, etc. The hanging plate “Red phoenix flying ” and “Peacock in its pride”in the exhibition hall of Sichuan in the Great Hall of the People are the great works of craft artists in Sichuan.
TOPIron picture
Iron picture is also named iron openwork, the specialty of Wuhu in Anhui province and the Chinese craftwork of unique style. The material of Iron picture is mild steel. Iron pieces and iron wires are forged and welded into all sorts of ornament picture. Mixing with the techinics of paper cutting, engraving and enchasing, following the rules of Chinese painting, with the contrast of white and black, void and concrete, it has a special taste. The production of iron picture originates in the Song dynasty, grows independent in the Kangxi period in the Qing dynasty, and then enjoys the fame home and abroad.
Taking iron as the ink, anvil as ink-stone, hammer as writing brush, iron picture is forged in this way. There are three kinds of iron picture. The fist One is in small size but many designs such as pine, plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, eagle, etc. After boarding and riming, if hang on the pink wall, it will appear more majesty and dazzling. The second one is lamps, which, in general, consists of four to six iron pictures. Pasting inside with paper or light silk and lightening a wax in silver cover, it will be dazzlingly brilliant and catching. The third one is screen, which is drawn in the natural landscape like water and mountain, etc. simple, elegant, and grand.
TOPLongquan sword
Longquan sword is one of China’s famous traditional craftwork, named for the Longquan county in Zhejiang province.
It is said that Longquan sword was invented in Spring and Autumn Period, which is more than 2000 years so far. It wins the fame in the Tang dynasty. Poet Libai once wrote several sentences, of which the main idea is “One would like to be ordinary people rather than lose Longquan sword.”
The process of production of Longquan sword is from forging, to beating, shoveling, filing, engraving, enchasing, forging coldly, quenching, polishing, etc. twenty eight procedures. There are one-edged swords, double-edged swords, long-edged swords, short-edged swords, etc dozens of kinds. All of them have the four traditional characteristic of toughness and sharpness; contrast of firmness and softness; exquisite design.
Longquan sword is famous home and abroad. The oversea Chinese in Southeastern Asia prefer to hang it on the wall of their living room or the end of their bed in order to avoid evil spirits and decorate their rooms as well.
TOPBornite craftwork
“Yunan Bornite craftwork” is a unique folk craftwork in Yunan province. It is made of mix metal of rich in copper, forged, beaten and polished, etc, such complex procedures. The maroon surface is twinkling, mottling and magnificent, unique in the changeable and subtle designs. It is honored as the champion of metal craftwork. Now it has the series of animals, characters, flowers, vases, stove bases, mural ornaments and containers, six categories. In October, 1990, the National Tourism Bureau, Light industry Bureau and Commercial Bureau promulgated “Tianma” gold prize and excellent prize to Bornite craftwork. Bornite craftwork is from Bronze culture, but high above the bronze products. As early as the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty, “Yunan Bornite” had been the tribute that sent from Yuannan to the central government. In Yunnan exhibition hall in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Bornite craftwork is the main exhibitor with meaningful glamour. It has taken as our national presents sent to foreign heads of state and distinguish guests, in which “Peacock vase”, “Big rhinoceros, “archaized cow”, “peacock deity and tathagata” are ranked as national permanent collection.
TOPTin craftwork
The tin craftwork of silver bird brand produced in the famous tin capital, Gejiu, is rich in tin and hard, good in resisting to oxidation, as white as silver, as bright as mirror leading the industry internationally in polishness and friction resistance. There are more than seven categories at present. Some are smart wine sets, dressers, pen-holders, pen-containers; some are grand and simple censers, candle sticks, puff boxes, vases; some have the designs of vivid birds and beasts, etc. Both of the contours and the designs reflect the local customs and nationalistic characteristics. Some have flying Chinese lobster pieces atop garlic greens, which are the sign of happiness; Some have flowing water and high mountains, which reflect simplicity and elegance; some have pines and cranes, which are the signs of longevity and happiness, and a fine spring day, which tranquility and harmony. In addition, there are also tin wares, which engraved with stone forest, dragon gate, grand vision pavilion, etc. places of interests. And these products have been sold to Japan, America, Germany, Southeastern, Hongkong, Marco, etc.
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