Reconstructing lacquer technology through Chinese classical texts

Abstract

Lacquer has a long and ongoing tradition of use in Asia. Known as qi 漆 in China, its use can be traced back to the Neolithic period and it remains in use today. The earliest known Chinese archaeological lacquered object dates to approximately 6000 bce. Many Chinese classical texts and historical documents over the last 8000 years mention lacquer and related information. An extensive investigation of Chinese literature from different time periods was carried out to search for useful information scattered throughout Chinese texts. This article outlines some of the highlights and research challenges.