In ancient times, man fashioned implements from natural raw materials which he acquired from his environment, such as stone, wood and pottery. The chief difference between lacquerware and other ancient implements is that lacquerware must have a mold. Once coated with lacquer, the material of the mold, whether made of wood, ceramic or bamboo, can no longer be distinguished. Thus experts on ancient implements categorize such implements as lacquerware. The Chinese character for lacquer, pronounced ch'i, is pictographic. One of its components, pronounced mu (meaning wood), forms the top part of the word. In the middle two side strokes protrude downwards like taps that have been sunk into a tree. The lower part of the word is formed by a component, pronounced shui (meaning water), which signifies the flow of sap from the wood.
Regions producing varnish trees (cashew) are spread out far and wide especially in the midstream and basin areas of the Yellow River in mainland China. Here naturally grown varnish-tree forests can be seen everywhere. According to credible archaeological records, the Chinese had discovered the sap in varnish trees as early as 7,000 years before, much earlier than the historical Huangti period of legendary history. The sap of these varnish trees had a strong adhesive quality and beautiful gloss. It could be used as a protective, adhesive and beautifying agent for implements.
As early as the Neolithic Age, the Chinese already knew how to use lacquer to coat eating utensils, ornaments and implements for sacrificial offerings. Sometime between the 8th and 3rd centuries B.C., lacquerware first appeared in its most exquisite form, and suddenly became the darling of upper-class society. At that time the use of lacquer was already wide-spread; everything from writing implements, musical instruments, eating and drinking utensils, weaponry, furniture, funeral articles and even transportation vehicles were lacquer-coated. The pictures and patterns ranged from symbolic dragons, snakes, phoenixes, and birds, to scenes of court singing and dancing, or gardening and hunting. Since the patterns were sophisticated, the workmanship exquisite, and colors marvelously beautiful, they were well liked by people.
From the 8th century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D., the lacquer industry developed like never before--techniques advanced and sales extended far and wide. This was the very period in history when items made of bronze were in decline and lacquerware was widely valued.
Following this period, the appearance of yet another high point in the development of the lacquer industry should be ascribed to the start of the 15th century, lasting until the mid-to-late 18th century. Every period prior to this had produced its share of outstanding works, and artifacts from each of these periods had been handed down over the years. Precisely because this kind of craft technique had extended down through the ages uninterrupted, and a great deal of experience had been accumulated, by the start of the 15th century, this kind of lacquered artifact was much loved by the imperial household, resulting in the creation of a special office and posts to produce it. This invariably caused eunuchs and imperial officials to curry to the wishes of the royal household; the people also followed suit, creating a production fad for lacquerware. For a time, the country's lacquerware manufacturing industry flourished, the uses for lacquerware expanded, and the number of patterns and designs increased as well. By the 15th through 18th centuries, the lacquer industry had accumulated a great deal of manufacturing technique and art. Both replicas and originals impart a sense of being highly ornate, bright and stylish. The whole evolutionary process also brought along with it a plethora of new methods and new substances to serve as molds, thus allowing lacquer products to not only have a cultural appearance, but also commercial potential.
In the latter decades of the 18th century, oil-based paints were brought to China from the West. And since raw materials for producing them were cheap and the coating process was laborsaving, they quickly supplanted the use of Chinese lacquer coating on utensils for daily-use.
After the Second World War, the invention and development of chemical- based paints lead to the production output of chemical-based paints exceeding that of all various other coating materials.
Among these three kinds of paint, Chinese lacquer is the sturdiest and most lasting. It doesn't deteriorate, even after one to two hundred years. Oil-based paints, however, flake off in less than ten years and chemical-based paints cannot maintain their original appearance beyond twenty to thirty years. Furthermore, Chinese paint can be applied layer after layer for dozens of times, while oil- or chemical-based paints, after several layers of coating, cannot retain enough strength to be carved.
The art of lacquer ornamentation is a purely home-grown Chinese art. It has continued for thousands of years uninterrupted. Even in the highly industrialized Republic of China on Taiwan, this traditional art is still fondly cherished and lovingly nourished by the people. After all, these various lacquer products have been a part of Chinese life for thousands of years and have become an indispensable part of Chinese spiritual life as well. However, how to maintain their indelible brilliance under the impact of modern mechanical civilization is a problem worthy of deep and sober consideration by people from various sectors of society in Taiwan.