When mentioning about the diversity of Vietnamese traditionally artistic handicrafts , no one can deny the important role of lacquer ware-a kind of unique art requiring a lot of sophisticated techniques which is the crystallization of creativity, patience, hard work and passion of many artists. It is not surprised that it takes no less than 100 days to finish a lacquer product and a lacquer one even may cost up to 100.000 USD. So, how amazing and and complex that process is? Let’s discover with Hanoi Free Tourguides about the manufacture of lacquerware . Material: We must select the suitable wood for every Vietnamese lacquerware: rose, cherry or walnut wood for the furniture, screens or jewelry boxes, ebony for statues; jack fruit wood for boxes, bowls, plates and plywood for paintings. The wood then will be filled with a layer of natural lacquer which gradually seeps through to a core of wood to make it harder and against any rotting by insects. The lacquer is a resin of the lacquer tree,which is harvested in the same way as rubber, by making an incision and letting the sap flow. Lacquer will be mixed with various natural or artificial dyes to produce the colours the artists want. Several shades of red are extracted from a naturally occurring red mineral, cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). . White is produced from eggshell . Silver is used below the layers of colours to create an effect of immense luster. Gold leaf, on the other hand, is often applied as the final layer Paint/ apply color and polish Lacquerware One layer of lacquer is applied to the plywood, which is left to dry. Next, thin cotton cloths soaked in clay are attached to both sides of the plywood. After the cotton/clay mixture dries, the surface will be smoothed and polished. This process is performed five times. Layers of black lacquer are then applied, and the board is left to dry and is then polished. Thus the final product appears very smooth and durable. It consists of several layers, is very resistant, and will not crack due to fluctuations in temperature or humidity. It may warp slightly due to these changes, but it is quite easy to straighten it again, as it remains flexible. When it comes up to a perfect background, the artist starts to draw the composition on the surface of that item. White colour is added through the use of eggshell in the shape of minute pieces. which are glued to the cavities , and the surface is then made smooth. Clear lacquer is applied and left to dry, and the pattern is then polished. A basic layer of coloured lacquer is applied to the board and left to dry. Silver leaf is stuck to the lacquer and a clear layer of lacquer is applied to cover the silver leaf. New layers of coloured lacquer are painted with a brush, each with different colours. In between, clear lacquer is also applied. The artist sometimes applies up to ten layers or more of coloured and clear lacquer. The painting is left to dry between each application and the layers are also smoothened. The most important part of the process, however, takes place after the final layer has been applied. The artist will polish and rub different parts of the painting until he obtains the preferred colour(s) for various parts of the painting. Since different colours are located in different layers, rubbing must be done with great care by using fine sandpaper and a mix of charcoal powder and human hair. The artist must remember in what layer he put which colour, and has to be extremely careful not to rub too hard because the painting will be irretrievably spoilt if he rubs through the layer he wants to keep. A specific colour nuance can be made by carefully rubbing the interface between two colour layers P/S: various sources
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:49:49 +0000
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