Carved lacquer

Lacquer carving

　　There are mainly two types of Beijing lacquerware. One is carved lacquer, a craft that matured in the 14th century and has a rather long history. It uses copper as the base and is lined with fired enamel on the inside, with gold-plated edges. The base is coated with multiple layers of colored lacquer—such as red, green, and yellow—and some pieces may require hundreds of layers. The lacquer must dry in the shade before carving can begin. The carving methods include relief carving and openwork carving; the other is gold-lacquer inlay, which involves techniques such as colored lacquer outlining with gold, mother-of-pearl inlay, gold and silver flat relief, incised gray, and polished lacquer painting. Both types of lacquerware feature a lustrous, classic, and dignified style, exuding an imperial grandeur and representing exquisite craftworks rich in Beijing flavor. (Beijing)