← Explore on the interactive map

East Asian lacquerware

Type Object Region East Asia Time c. -3000

Objects made with natural lacquer, decorated by carving, inlay, and mother-of-pearl techniques, formed an East Asian export luxury system in the earl…

Timeline

  1. 1570–1610Beijing, Suzhou · ChinaThe Ming imperial workshops and Jiangnan official and private kilns produced a wide variety of lacquerware; carved lacquer, filled lacquer, and mother-of-pearl inlay techniques were mature; Japan purchased lacquerware and stationery from the Ming, and Korean lacquer boxes also sold at home and abroad.
  2. 1611–1620Amsterdam, Lisbon, Macau · Dutch RepublicThe Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company purchased Chinese and Japanese lacquerware via Macau, Bantam, and Nagasaki; the European market prized Oriental lacquer furniture under names such as "Japan work" and "Coromandel screens," spurring European lacquer imitations and chinoiserie decorative fashions.
  3. 1621Sites of East Asian lacquer craft transmission · East AsiaJapanese lacquerware exports continued during the Edo period, and European chinoiserie influenced furniture design; today China, Japan, and Korea list lacquer art as intangible cultural heritage, with museum collections and conservation research driving renewed appreciation.

Sources