Chinese Lacquerware
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Spittoon with a Foliate Rim, Red lacquer, China, Southern Song–Yuan dynasty, 13th–14th century
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 9
December 15, 2020 (Tue) - March 14, 2021 (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 | Spittoon with a Foliate Rim, Red lacquer | China | Southern Song–Yuan dynasty, 13th–14th century | TH-498 | |||
| Important Cultural Property | Foliate Tray with a Dragon and Waves, Lacquer with mother-of-pearl inlay | China | Yuan dynasty, 14th century | TH-9 | |||
| Box with Figures and a Pavillion in a LandscapeLacquer with mother-of-pearl inlay | China | Yuan dynasty, 14th century | TH-300 | ||||
| Highlight | Seal Case with Figures, Lacquer with mother-of-pearl inlay | China | Ming dynasty, 16th–17th century | Gift of Mr. Sugiyama Sadatoshi, TH-515 | |||
| Highlight | Bowls with Figures in a Landscape, Lacquer with mother-of-pearl inlay | China | Qing dynasty, 18th century | Gift of Mr. Itō Kiyoshi, TH-523 |