Yichun Bodiless Lacquerware

Yichun Bodiless Lacquerware

　　　    The history of Chinese lacquerware dates back thousands of years. Over 2,000 years ago, the craftsmanship involved in making lacquerware had already reached astonishingly high levels. The statue of Master Jianzhen, which was escorted back to China for a family visit by Japanese monks including Abbot Morimoto Kōshun of Tōshōdai-ji Temple in Nara, was made from bodiless lacquer. Yichun lacquerware originated during the Eastern Han Dynasty and has a history of at least 1,700 years.

　　  Located in western Jiangxi Province, Yichun has long been famous for producing summer cloth, fireworks, and lacquerware. Yichun bodiless lacquerware features an elegant shape, is lightweight and exquisitely crafted, with bright and lustrous colors that are as shiny as a mirror. It is waterproof, resistant to heat, acid, alkali, and corrosion, and the longer it is used, the more glossy it becomes. During the Qing Dynasty, Yichun lacquerware won the first prize at the “Nanyang Fair.”

　　  The production of Yichun bodiless lacquerware is entirely handmade. First, a mold is created, then layers of cotton cloth, silk cloth, or summer cloth are pasted onto the mold. A specially prepared lacquer mixture is applied, and once it dries, the inner mold is removed. Next comes filling with putty, lacquering, polishing, and decorating — a process involving dozens of steps before completion. Today, the Yichun Lacquerware Factory builds on traditional techniques while integrating methods from porcelain, copperware, silverware, jade carving, and cloisonné production. It also employs various decorative techniques such as gold and silver inlaying, carved lacquer, filled-in painting, colored gold floral patterns, polished lacquer painting, “Red Treasure Sand,” and “Green Treasure Sand,” resulting in bodiless lacquerware of diverse styles and forming its own unique aesthetic.

　　  During the Qing Dynasty, Yichun lacquerware won the first prize at the “Nanyang Fair.”