Gold-lacquered polychrome ware

Gold-lacquered polychrome ware

　　Gold-lacquered polychrome ware is a traditional type of Ningbo lacquerware. Based on the varying relief of the patterns on the lacquered objects, it is categorized into edge-patterned, flat-patterned, and raised-patterned. This craft mainly involves applying powdered gold and silver leaf—pounded into thin sheets—onto wooden bases, mixing them with lacquer, and then brushing, painting, or filling them in. It is meticulously decorated using techniques such as mother-of-pearl inlay, mirror pieces, gold sand, and raised relief work; there are also pieces made using bamboo slices or woven bamboo as the base. The Tianyi Pavilion once housed a Ming Dynasty bamboo-woven Hehe artwork adorned with relief carvings of the Eight Immortals and finished with gold tracing. Gold-lacquered polychrome ware enjoyed great fame during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The gold-traced lacquerware from that era still shines brilliantly today, attesting to the high quality of the gold used. In recent years, Ningbo has produced a range of antique-style handicrafts such as “drum stools” and the “Twelve Beauties of the Red Chamber,” which are exquisitely crafted, feature lifelike character designs, sparkle brilliantly, and have a strong sense of dimensionality—making them very popular with foreign buyers. (Ningbo)

　　 Gold-lacquered polychrome ware primarily uses raw Chinese lacquer as its main material, with wooden bases being the norm, though bamboo slices and woven bamboo are also used. Its designs are vividly realistic and rich in three-dimensionality, with radiant gold, silver, and colored embellishments that are dazzling and pleasing to the eye. The layouts are elegant and delicately crafted. The production is divided into three main categories: raised-patterned, flat-patterned, and recessed-patterned, making it one of Ningbo’s major export handicrafts.