Chinese Lacquerware
"Chinese Lacquerware"
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 9 June 24, 2020 (Wed) - September 27, 2020 (Sun)
Box with a Dragon and Phoenix, Ming dynasty, dated 1592
Lacquer is the sap of the lacquer tree, which grows in East and Southeast Asia. Naturally sticky, it can be brushed onto different materials, and hardens into a durable coating that is waterproof and resistant to acids, alkalis, and heat.
The history of lacquerware in China dates back to the Neolithic period. Over the past 7,000 years, a number of ornate decorative techniques have grown out of Chinese innovations, including: built-up layers of lacquer that are then carved, mother-of-pearl inlay, incised lines of gold, and a special type of decorative inlay made up of different colors of lacquer and outlined in incised lines.
Major Work(s) on Exhibit 2 results
| Designation | Name | Amount | Creation Excavation | Period | Acquisition Ownership | Comment | |
| Highlight | Lobed Tray | China | Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century | Lent by the Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation | |||
| Highlight | Box with a Dragon and Phoenix | China | Ming dynasty, dated 1592 | TH-383 |