Chinese Lacquerware
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Box with a Dragon and Phoenix, Ming dynasty, dated 1592
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 9
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - September 27, 2020 (Sun)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.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| 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 |