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Lacquerware

Beijing's culture is today a complex reflection of China's history and its position in a rapidly changing world. Full of contradictions and spectacular exclamations, it's a city partially frozen in time as well as light-years ahead. As culture is everything, not just the art and grandiosity of its heyday, there is much to see, and enjoy.

Lacquerware

Lacquer is a natural substance obtained from the lacquer tree, which grows in China. Before the invention of Chinese ink, lacquer was used to write.

Lacquerware has a long history that extends back to the Neolithic period. It is a hardy substance that is moisture proof and resistant to heat, acids and alkali. Its colour and lustre is highly durable lending beauty to its practical use. Beijing is one of the leading cities in the production of Chinese lacquerware.

The making of Beijing lacquerware starts with a brass or wooden body. After preparation and polishing, it is coated with several dozen to hundreds of layers of lacquer, reaching a total thickness of 5 to 18 millimetres. Then, engravers cut into the hardened lacquer, creating "carved paintings" of landscapes, figures, and flowers and birds. It is finished by drying and polishing.

Traditional Beijing lacquer objects are chairs, screens, tea tables and vases. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an enthusiast of lacquerware, had his coffin decorated with carved lacquer.