Beijing lacquerware and filigree inlay

Beijing lacquerware and filigree inlay

　　Beijing lacquerware also comes in large and small sizes. The larger pieces serve as furniture to adorn spaces, while the smaller ones are practical items such as bowls and plates. However, both are exquisite works of art with purely Beijing-style craftsmanship. The other main type is carved lacquer, a craft that matured in the 14th century and boasts a long history. Carved lacquer also uses copper as a base, with enamel lining fired and applied to the interior, and the edges gilded. The base is coated with layers of red, green, yellow, and other colored lacquers—some requiring hundreds of layers—which must dry before carving can begin. Carving techniques include relief and openwork carving. The other type is gold-lacquer inlay, another specialty of Beijing. Gold-lacquer inlay is divided into polychrome lacquer outlined in gold, mother-of-pearl inlay, gold and silver overlay, as well as gray carving and lacquer grinding paintings. Both types of lacquerware feature a resplendent yet classic, understated elegance, exuding an imperial grandeur. (Beijing)