Chinese Lacquerware
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Tray with Pommel Scrolls, Wood with carved marbled lacquer, Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century, (Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Sackler)
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 9
March 16, 2021 (Tue) - June 6, 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 | Tray with Pommel Scrolls, Wood with carved marbled lacquer | China | Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century | Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Sackler, TH-376 | |||
| Highlight | Tray with Dragons, Lacquered wood with lacquer inlay and incised gold lines | China | Ming dynasty, 1585 | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TH-347 | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Sutra Box with Peacocks, Lacquered wood with incised gold lines | China | Yuan dynasty, 1315 | Lent by Kōmyōbō Temple, Hiroshima |