Yi lacquerware

Yi lacquerware

　　　　Yi lacquerware is a renowned specialty of the Liangshan region. Its color scheme is carefully crafted, with a skillful combination and alternating use of black, red, and yellow — the black is intense, the red is passionate, and the yellow is radiant. The decorative patterns are largely naturalistic and elegant, and the variety is extensive, covering more than 20 types of daily household items. Especially notable are the tableware and drinking vessels, which are uniquely distinctive. Apart from wooden cups used as Yi liquor ware, some feature cup feet made from eagle talons, while others are crafted from sheep or cow horns. Other ethnic tableware or household items such as bowls, plates, spoons, spatulas, cups, jars, bowls, teapots, and tobacco pipes are also made of wood, often coated inside and out with colored lacquer. Typically, black serves as the base color, over which red and yellow are painted in patterns. They are very attractive and suitable both for collection and as gifts.

　　 The Yi lacquerware that most distinctly showcases ethnic style includes drinking vessels such as eagle claw cups, goose claw cups, cow horn cups, and wild boar hoof cups. These drinking vessels are directly crafted from natural objects and then polished and painted, resulting in rustic yet extraordinary designs. These animals — fierce and powerful — are revered by the pastoral and hunting peoples. By using their horns and claws to make drinking cups, one can display nobility and strength.

　　 The decorative patterns of the lacquerware are characterized by their naturalism and realism. The motifs are all derived from nature and daily life. Mountains, rivers, sun, moon, flowers, birds, insects, snakes, plant forms, livestock, wild animals, and tools used in production and daily life are first directly imitated, then gradually refined and abstracted — round suns, crescent moons, waves, mountain shapes, swimming fish, galloping horses, curved animal horns, crawling insects, etc. Through the eyes of the artisans, these elements are stylized, artistically refined, and abstracted, and then reproduced on the lacquerware as various realistic patterns where form and meaning are unified. The types of lacquerware patterns can be broadly divided into: natural patterns, animal patterns, plant patterns, life patterns, production patterns, and cultural patterns. Among these, animal patterns rank first, followed by plant patterns, indicating that the Yi people experienced a long period of nomadic life before settling down to farming, with animal husbandry still holding a significant place in their lives.

　　 The patterns on the lacquerware include single motifs, continuous patterns, and unitary designs. Artisans connect or combine individual motifs according to the needs of different parts of the vessel, forming band patterns or central designs. Generally, band patterns are used along the edges of the vessel or as divider bands — for example, insect motifs may be linked end to end or arranged in parallel, or the fire striker motif may be refined and regularized, transforming the pictographic curves into straight lines, creating a pattern similar to a gourd shape, all forming band patterns. Chicken comb patterns and fingernail patterns are handled similarly. The main patterns on the body of the vessel may also feature bilateral continuity, mainly used for shallow-bodied designs. Band patterns run horizontally across the center of the body; for round-bellied and deep-bodied vessels, the central design often combines individual motifs ingeniously into unitary patterns, paired with auxiliary decorations to highlight key features. The layout of lacquerware patterns is harmonious with the shape of the vessel.

　　 For example, tubular-shaped vessels may feature root-line patterns; round-bellied vessels often start with horizontal layering, with broad band patterns painted on the top and bottom, and the main patterns positioned on the belly, which is divided into two square sections, each slightly elongated and narrow, with vertical divisions at both ends to reduce length and increase width. This technique of seeking narrowness within centrality, and wideness within narrowness, achieving harmony between elements, is quite ingenious. Typically, the entire body of the vessel is fully covered with patterns, making it appear full and charming. Different parts of the vessel are adorned with different patterns, usually balancing thickness, density, emphasis, and position, achieving an appropriate mix of complexity and simplicity. The splendid decorative patterns and elegant shapes blend seamlessly into a harmonious whole. The structure of lacquerware patterns follows a meticulous compositional logic. For instance, on the unitary square patterns of a vessel, a circle is often placed at the center, from which patterns radiate outward. Regardless of whether the decoration is simple or complex, a single center governs the overall layout, maintaining symmetry and order.

　　 The colors of the lacquerware consist of red, black, and yellow. The Yi people cherish the color red, which symbolizes bravery and passion; black represents nobility and solemnity; and yellow stands for beauty and light. These three colors are interwoven, alternated, and used with bright, vivid hues. The method of applying lacquer involves outlining the structure on the base color, then drawing the contours of the patterns, and finally filling in the colors without using gradient or blended tones. This application method is relatively simple, and compared to first applying color and then painting different hues based on the object, it appears more bold and minimalist. In this way, the red and yellow colors create a striking contrast against the black lacquer base in terms of warmth, intensity, brightness, and shadow, producing a sense of spatial depth and resulting in a harmonious rhythm.