Chinese Lacquerware

Timeline

1. c. -1200–-221Chu region · Central ChinaLarge numbers of lacquered wooden ritual vessels and musical instruments have been excavated from Shang, Zhou, and Warring States Chu tombs; lacquer layers increased in number and painted and gold-foil decoration appeared, making lacquerware an important part of aristocratic burial customs and ritual institutions.
2. c. 200–900Chang'an · GuanzhongHan and Tang courts and temples favored jiaozhu (layered hemp) statuary and mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware; Chang'an and Yangzhou were lacquerwork centers, and products traveled west along the Silk Road, influencing Nara-period lacquer art in Japan.
3. c. 1260–1368Dadu · YuanAfter Kublai Khan founded the Yuan, lacquerware workshops were established in Dadu; masters of carved lacquer such as Zhang Cheng and Yang Mao matured in style, and multi-layered carved cinnabar and black lacquer boxes and dishes became prized court gifts and foreign-trade treasures.
4. c. 1400Beijing · ChinaFrom the Yongle to the Qianlong era the court maintained workshops for carved lacquer, filled lacquer, and gold-tracing; folk lacquer arts in Suzhou, Fuzhou, and elsewhere advanced in parallel; in modern times lacquer painting and lacquer art have been included in intangible cultural heritage protection systems.