Yangzhou Lacquerware, like a flowing, ancient melody, has hummed its tune through the annals of history since the Warring States period. Over centuries, it has matured, its tones growing richer and deeper. Today, we’ll follow its historical timeline, exploring the development of Yangzhou Lacquerware and experiencing the unique charm of this ancient craft.
The Warring States Era: The First Gleam of a Rising Star
Historical records show that as early as the Warring States period, Yangzhou Lacquerware was already making a name for itself, with a notable scale of production and refined craftsmanship. The large collection of Yangzhou lacquerware from this period, housed in the National Museum of China, serves as powerful proof. In 1967, a lacquer plate unearthed from a Warring States tomb in the Xihu Township of Hanjiang, Yangzhou, measured 40 centimeters in diameter. Made with a wooden form and coated in cinnabar red lacquer, it featured an exquisite black lacquer painting of clouds, water, and flying birds. Its vibrant colors and lifelike imagery vividly showcase the high level of craftsmanship of the time, a testament to the ingenuity and skill of the ancient artisans.
The Qin and Han Dynasties: A Golden Age of Prosperity and Acclaim
The Qin and Han Dynasties marked the golden age for Yangzhou Lacquerware. During this period, the variety of lacquerware expanded, and production techniques became even more refined. Early masterpieces of Yangzhou Lacquerware have been unearthed from sites such as the Tianshan Han Tombs in Yangzhou, the Laushan Han Tombs in Beijing, and the Mawangdui Han Tombs in Changsha. Han Dynasty Yangzhou Lacquerware was famous for its painted and inlaid craftsmanship. The three-footed cosmetic case and the seven-piece box from this era are stellar examples of the intricate and breathtaking artistry.
The application of Yangzhou Lacquerware was extensive during this period, covering everything from daily necessities to burial goods. In 1985, 131 lacquerware pieces were unearthed from Han Tomb 101 in Yaozhuang, Hanjiang, comprising more than half of the total burial items. This illustrates the significant role lacquerware played in people’s lives. Han Dynasty Yangzhou Lacquerware featured diverse decorative techniques, with painted designs being the most common. The main colors were cinnabar red, umber, yellow-green, and gold and silver. The painted lines were fluid and continuous, with some cloud patterns extending over 50 centimeters without a visible break, a true display of the artisans’ masterful skill. Additionally, needle engraving was a prominent technique, accounting for about 10% of the lacquer art from the Guangling region and typically used on cloth-wrapped lacquerware forms.
The Tang Dynasty: A Flourishing Era and International Influence
During the Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou became a renowned economic hub and a crucial port for foreign trade. With a booming commercial sector and highly developed handicrafts, Yangzhou’s lacquerware production became even more refined. Techniques like colored painting, ti hong (carved red lacquer), cloth-wrapped bodiless lacquerware, and gold and silver inlay reached peak perfection. The art of mother-of-pearl inlay, in particular, achieved an exceptionally high level of craftsmanship. Lacquerware was listed as one of Yangzhou’s twenty-four tribute items, becoming a sought-after commodity for the imperial court and for export.
In 753 AD, the monk Jianzhen, the abbot of Yangzhou’s Daming Temple, traveled to Japan, bringing with him dozens of lacquerware items, including boxes and plates. These exquisite pieces introduced Yangzhou’s lacquer art to Japan, profoundly influencing the lacquer traditions of Japan, Korea, and other East Asian nations. For instance, the Toshodai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan, houses a statue of Vairocana Buddha, standing over 12 feet tall, made with a bamboo-and-cloth-wrapped lacquer form. The statues of Yakushi Nyorai and Senju Kannon to its right and left, respectively, are also made of lacquered wood. All three statues are designated as Japanese national treasures, a testament to the high international status of Yangzhou’s lacquer art.
The Tang Dynasty saw inlay craftsmanship become highly popular. The poet Bai Juyi’s poem The Ballad of the Plain Vase and the legendary tale The Story of Huo Xiaoyu describe intricate mother-of-pearl and gemstone inlays, hinting at the high level of skill and beauty of the time’s inlay work.
The Song and Yuan Dynasties: Evolution and New Techniques
The Song and Yuan Dynasties saw Yangzhou Lacquerware continue to innovate while building on its traditions. The art of carved lacquer significantly improved, evolving from the initial ti hong to include ti huang (carved yellow), ti lü (carved green), and ti cai (carved multi-color). Zhang Yingwen’s Qing Mi Zang praised Song Dynasty carved red lacquerware, noting its use of gold and silver forms, masterful knife work, and vibrant lacquer that was thick and durable. The carved landscapes, figures, and pavilions were said to be as fine as paintings. The National Palace Museum in Beijing holds several outstanding examples of Song Dynasty carved lacquer, including a round box and a round plate by “Zhang Cheng” and an octagonal tray and a dregs bucket by “Yang Mao,” all showcasing the era’s superb craftsmanship.
The lacquer-carving art of the Song Dynasty was also famously applied to bow arms. According to the Jiangdu County Annals, bows made in the Song Dynasty were known for their straightness and durability, with the lacquer remaining intact for over a century, which was considered extraordinary.
The Yuan Dynasty introduced a new technique to Yangzhou lacquer art: “soft mother-of-pearl inlay.” The mother-of-pearl pieces used in this technique became thinner and more transparent, as described in Huang Dacheng’s Xiu Shi Lu: “The ancient shell pieces were thick, but now they are gradually becoming thin.” The emergence of soft mother-of-pearl inlay greatly enriched the variety of lacquerware. A soft mother-of-pearl lacquer plate (made in Yangzhou), with a diameter of about 37 cm, was discovered at a Yuan Dynasty site in Beijing in 1966. Its centerpiece depicted the goddess Chang’e flying to the moon against the backdrop of the Guanghan Palace. Though the plate was damaged, the intricate details of dense forests and layered pavilions, along with its brilliant colors, demonstrated the exceptional skill of Yangzhou’s soft mother-of-pearl craftsmanship and laid a solid foundation for the birth of the exquisite dian luo (dotted mother-of-pearl) lacquerware of the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming and Qing Dynasties: A Golden Age of Peak Artistry
The Ming and Qing Dynasties saw Yangzhou Lacquerware flourish, establishing the city as the nation’s lacquerware production center. Lacquerware workshops proliferated, offering a vast array of products. Incomplete records indicate there were nearly forty workshops, and streets were even named after the craft, such as “Lacquer Goods Alley” and “Dabiao Jin Alley,” forming a complete industrial district from raw material sales to production and retail. The Lianghuai Salt Administration also established a dedicated lacquer workshop to produce various vessels, furniture, and architectural decorations for the imperial court.
The Ming Dynasty was renowned for many types of Yangzhou Lacquerware, including ti hong (carved lacquer), bai bao (hundred treasures) inlay, and mother-of-pearl inlay. Other techniques like gray eight-treasure, polo lacquer, engraved lacquer, piled lacquer, and gold-filled engravings also rose to prominence. The lost art of lacquer-sand inkstones from the Song Dynasty was even revived. A notable example of Ming Dynasty carved lacquer is a high-footed cup with a carved cloud pattern. This piece features a cloth-wrapped form with a copper inner wall and an outer carving of clouds. Its simple and flowing knife work, meticulous lines, and vibrant colors make it a captivating masterpiece. The carved lacquer brazier with a floral branch pattern is another classic of the period. The Qing Dynasty owners of the Xiaolinglong Mountain Villa in Yangzhou, Ma Yueguang and his brother Ma Yuelu, are said to have praised a carved lacquer plate from the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty in a poem during a banquet. The plate, shaped like a lotus flower, was exquisitely carved with dragons and water birds. An inscription on the bottom read “Made in the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty,” attesting to the high level of Ming Dynasty Yangzhou carved lacquer production.
The dian luo (dotted mother-of-pearl) lacquerware technique rose to prominence during the Ming Dynasty, with the famous lacquer art master Jiang Qianli (courtesy name Qiushui) becoming renowned for it during the Wanli era. He tirelessly created thousands of works (including both flat-polished and dotted mother-of-pearl), many of which are now treasured in museums in Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing. The National Palace Museum in Beijing houses a first-class national relic, a rectangular box with dotted mother-of-pearl and gold and silver inlays bearing the “Jiang Qianli” mark. The lid and base feature a continuous scene, with four dragons on each side. Two dragons soar into the sky, while two others create waves. Thin mother-of-pearl pieces form the fine lines of the dragons’ hair, the waves, and the clouds. The dragons’ eyes and scales are inlaid with green mother-of-pearl, while silver threads fill in the waves. The exquisite craftsmanship is simply breathtaking.
The bone and stone inlay and bai bao (hundred treasures) inlay lacquerware, which began in the Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing, were pioneered by the famous Ming Dynasty lacquer master Zhou Zhu. The Chuncaotang Ji recorded that “Zhou Zhu of Yangzhou created screens, cabinets, and tables using only eight (hundred) treasure inlays, with very fine figures and floral designs.” The Qing Dynasty writer Qian Yong’s Luyuan Conghua recorded: “The Zhou method is unique to Yangzhou. It was a person named Zhou who first created this method in the late Ming Dynasty, hence it is called the Zhou method.”
The Qing Dynasty saw an unprecedented peak in Yangzhou Lacquerware. The decorative techniques were even more diverse than in the Ming Dynasty, and a group of famous lacquer masters emerged, including Lu Yingzhi, Wang Guochen, Lu Kuisheng, and Xia Qigong, who made significant contributions to the art’s development. Lu Yingzhi and Wang Guochen innovated on previous techniques by skillfully combining carved lacquer and bai bao inlay to create “carved lacquer with jade inlay,” a unique and high-end local craft variety of Yangzhou.
Lacquerware was a vital tribute from the Lianghuai Salt Administration of Yangzhou. According to imperial records from 1750, 1771, and 1789, Yangzhou presented a wide range of lacquerware to the Qing court, including pieces with zitan (purple sandalwood) and Zhou-style inlay, mother-of-pearl inlay, carved lacquer, colored lacquer, filled lacquer, “foreign” lacquer, and gold-hooked designs. The items ranged from large ceremonial desks, thrones, and beds to small boxes, fans, bowls, plates, and other vessels. The materials used for the forms, such as zitan, pear wood, mahogany, and boxwood, reflected the luxury of these pieces.
However, after the Opium War, the Yangzhou lacquerware industry suffered a severe blow and gradually declined. Precious techniques like dian luo, lacquer-sand inkstones, and hard-inlaid mother-of-pearl on zitan and pear wood were lost. During the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods, lacquerware production saw a slight recovery. The main products were carved lacquer, mother-of-pearl inlay, Zhou-style, engraved lacquer, and gouged designs. Small items included letter boxes, flowerpots, plaques, and stationery. Shallow engraving was popular, and products like hat stands, brush pots, and inkstone boxes were common. Deeply engraved hanging screens often featured themes from the paintings and calligraphy of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou,” with mother-of-pearl dust sprinkled on the background or watercolors used for shading, then smoked to create an antique look. These products were primarily for domestic sale.
In the early Republic of China, Yangzhou lacquerware exports increased, with one boatload of lacquerware leaving every ten to fifteen days, reaching an annual volume of twenty to thirty thousand pieces. There were still over twenty lacquerware workshops (with a peak of nearly forty between the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China), with the three largest being Liang Fusheng, Wu Yongsheng, and Tan Senfu. Liang Fusheng’s workshop was the biggest, producing meticulously crafted products that accounted for about half of Yangzhou’s total lacquerware output. The Liang Fusheng antique lacquer shop was founded in 1868 by Liang Youshan and was passed down through five generations. From the Guangxu period to the early Republic of China, the workshop employed nearly 300 workers, producing about 10,000 lacquerware pieces annually. Their products were sold domestically, supplied to the court, and also exported to countries in Europe and America. At the time, Liang Fusheng was as famous as the renowned Shen Shao’an from Fujian, leading to the saying “Shen of the South and Liang of the North.” It is said that Liang Fusheng created the carved lacquer and jade-inlaid screen presented by the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Duanfang, to celebrate Empress Dowager Cixi’s 60th birthday, a testament to the workshop’s national and international prestige. In 1910, Liang’s lacquerware participated in the Nanyang Industrial Exhibition (an international expo) in Nanjing, winning a first-place gold medal. In 1914, it received a second-place award at the pre-exhibition for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in Shanghai, and in February 1915, it won a first-place silver medal at the exposition itself.
Modern Inheritance: Carrying the Torch and Rejuvenating a Legacy
After the founding of New China, Yangzhou’s lacquer artisans took on the important task of inheriting and developing traditional lacquerware craftsmanship. Through more than fifty years of continuous effort and progress, Yangzhou has grown into the largest and most influential key production area for lacquerware in China, with the most diverse range of products, the strongest technical expertise, and the highest status.
Modern Yangzhou Lacquerware encompasses nine major categories of craftsmanship: dian luo (dotted mother-of-pearl), carved lacquer, carved lacquer with jade inlay, engraved lacquer, flat-polished mother-of-pearl inlay, colored painting, bone and stone inlay, carved lacquer-sand inkstones, and lacquer painting. The products are complete in variety, exquisite in technique, brilliant in color, fresh in style, and rich in Oriental charm. The “Qi Hua” brand lacquerware produced by the Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory is particularly famous, having won numerous international and domestic gold medals. Many of its representative works have been chosen as state gifts or are displayed in important venues like the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.
In recent years, the Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory has not only adhered to traditional techniques but also actively innovated. It successfully recreated the lacquer-sand inkstone and combined the beauty of dian luo, wood carving, and other techniques into a single inkstone, perfectly blending practicality with artistic form. This achievement has captured the attention of the global craft industry. Additionally, Yangzhou Lacquerware actively draws inspiration from other art forms, absorbing their essence while providing a reference for sister arts. By innovating through inheritance and developing through innovation, it continuously elevates the artistic taste of Chinese craftsmanship.
Today, the variety of Yangzhou Lacquerware has grown to over three hundred, covering a wide range of products. This includes decorative pieces like table screens, floor screens, hanging screens, vases, and incense burners; luxurious furniture such as TV cabinets, bar cabinets, bookcases, curio cabinets, tables, chairs, and stools; daily necessities like plates, bowls, boxes, and smoking sets; and stationery decorations like zithers, inkstones, stationery boxes, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Blending practicality with ornamental beauty, these products are cherished by people from all walks of life.
Yangzhou Lacquerware, an ancient craft that has endured for over two thousand years, embodies the wisdom and dedication of countless artisans and has witnessed the changes and developments of eras. Today, it is writing its own glorious new chapter, and we can only look forward to the even more brilliant splendor it will radiate in the future.