The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-03
Chinese Lacquer.


woodwork of all kinds, was simply resin
of rather reddish color, extracted by incisior
from a tree indigenous to some province,
of China and Japan.
The same missionary gives an account ol
the mode of preparing and employing the
yarnish obtained from this resin. The first
operation consists in removing from the
juice of the tree all the water and for this
purpose it is exposed to the sun for two OF
three hours, being stirred all the time with
a wooden spatula Without the evapora-
tion thus caused the varnish would not
possess its beautiful transparency. Certain
substances are added TO produce the varie-
ties of varnish known in Chinese industry;
thus, to produce the fine ordinary varnish,
pigs gall and Roman vitriol are dissolved
in little water; to produce the fine black
japanese varnish, of which the Chinese re-
manned long ignorant, powdered nartshorn,
charcoal or ivory black is mixed in certain
proportions with tea oil, and added to the
resinous liquid.
An able Chinese artist, in executing or
namental work in gold or colors, commences
by sketching his design on the vanished
wood with brush and white lead; when
satisfied with his outlines, he passes over
them a very fine steel point, and then traces
all the details More often, however, the
design is first sketched with pencil ON paper,
and finished with Indian ink. These latter
designs are then carefully brushed over by
apprentices, with orpiment dissolved in
water, and are Immediately applied to the
vanished wood, the hand being passed over
the paper so that all the parts of the de-
sign are transferred to the wood. When
the paper has been taken off, all the lines
are retouched with orpiment or vermilion
in gum water, which fixes the design firmly
on the lacquer, and then with varnish,
mixed with little camphor, which renders
it more liquid; and this, when dry, is ready
to receive the shell-gold in powder, applied
by means of puff or dabber over the
whole of the design; the surface is then
lightly wiped or rubbed; when every line
of the original design becomes brilliant.
When it is desired to bring portions of
the design into relief, such as the inequality
of the trunks of trees, the nerves and veins
of plants, etc., the camphor varnish is APP
piled over the gold, and the gold again over
that, often many times, until the desired
relief is obtained All the important lines
of the design, the eyes, lips, ETC., of figures,
the folds of drapery, and all the ornamental
portions of the work, are touched up care
fully with brush.
Beautiful as Chinese lacquered work is,
that of Japan excells it; and one cause of
this is the superior transparency of the
japanese varnish, which is as limpid as the
purest water while that of the Chinese has
always yellow tinge.
Kang-hi, the famous Emperor, who was
great eonnoisseur and patron of art, ad
mitted the superiority of the Japanese
lacquer work, but he attributed it to the
climate, stating that the production of the
best varnish required soft, fresh, humid
and calm atmosphere; that that of China
was rarely temperate, almost always hot OF
cold, and charged with dust and salts, while
Japan, being surrounded by the sea, had
just the sort of air to dry varnish, without
causing it to become wrinkled or discolored,
This opinion of the Emperor is borne out
by the practice of the lacquerers of the
present day; and it is known fact that the
air of China is often loaded with dust,
which the rain brings down in the form of
mud.
White lacquer is made by mixing silver
leaf, carefully divided, with the ordinary
varnish; red lacquer by the mixture of
mineral cinnabar or carthamin flowers; yel-
low lacquer with the addition of orpiment
only; green is produced by mixture of
orpiment and indigo; and violet lacquer by
the addition to the varnish of a certain
mineral of that color, reduced to an impal-
pable powder. The older the articles var
and beautiful are the colors. Another
compound lacquer of which the materials
are not given is used by the painters for
the richest Chinese ornamental work which
is decorated with gold.
The perfection of Chinese and japanese
lacquer work does not, however, depend
solely on the excellence of the varnish, or
the careful preparation of the various
colors, for the application of the lacquer
demands the most elaborate pains. In the
first place the surface of the wood to be
lacquered is prepared with the greatest care;
when necessary, the joints are filled in with
fine tow and then covered with thin strips
of silk or paper The surface is then
dressed with an oil obtained from certain
tree which grows on the mountains and
highlands of China; when the oil is per-
fectly dry the varnish is applied. With
two or three coats of the varnish its trans
parency is so great that all the veins and
marks of the wood are perfectly distinct;
to disguise the wood entirely many more
coats have to be laid on, and finally the
surface is made as smoothe and brilliant as
glass.
1t is on such surface that the gold and
silver ornamentation is effected, and the
whole, when finished, is preserved bya light
coating of the varnish.
Another kind of lacquer is produced by
covering the surface of the wood with a
composition made of paper, tow, lime and
some other materials. This is laid in the
form of paste, and produces solid and
uniform ground with which the lacquer
amalgamates.
The lacquer and varnish are laid on with
fiat brushes with exceedingly fine hairs, at
first in all directions, but equally, and af
terwards lightly and in one direction, each
coat being allowed to dry perfectly before
another is laid on. No single coat exceeds
the thickness of the thinnest paper, other
wise irregularities would be produced
which could not afterwards be corrected
The workshops in which lacquered work
is produced are closed in the most careful
manner, in order to prevent the possibility
of dust, the men even taking off all their
clothes except pair of drawers. Contrary
to all European practice, the lacquered
work is dried in places which are rather
damp than otherwise, and the workmen
exhibit the greatest ingenuity in keeping
the atmosphere therein in perfect condition.
When a coat of varnish is sufficiently dry
the slightest irregularities are removed by
Furnishing with an instrument made of
hard composition of brick, extremely finely
powdered, and mixed with certain oil,
pigs blood, lime water and peculiar kind
of earth common in China The last coat
of yarnish Is not. however. touched with