Lidded Box
1800-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Lacquer is a waterproof varnish made from the sap of the tree Rhus vernicifera. The Chinese began to use it to provide a protective coating for wooden and bamboo bowls at least 3000 years ago. Lacquer workers quickly realised the decorative potential of the material. They coated the surface of vessels with multiple layers of lacquer and carved them with decorative patterns. Here the design consists of figures in a landscape enclosed within panels.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Lacquered wood, carved |
| Brief description | Woo, China, lacquer, carved Woo, China, lacquer, carved |
| Physical description | Hexagonal; lacquer of three strata, red, black, and brown, deeply carved with landscapes in panels, floral and diapered bands, and continuous fret ornament round the base. Made at Soochow. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1880. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | Lacquer is a waterproof varnish made from the sap of the tree Rhus vernicifera. The Chinese began to use it to provide a protective coating for wooden and bamboo bowls at least 3000 years ago. Lacquer workers quickly realised the decorative potential of the material. They coated the surface of vessels with multiple layers of lacquer and carved them with decorative patterns. Here the design consists of figures in a landscape enclosed within panels. |
| Bibliographic reference | The World of lacquer : 2000 years of history, Lisbon : Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 2001
8 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 351:1, 2-1880 |
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| Record created | March 5, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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