page_title: Conservation and restoration of lacquerware
section_title: Asian Lacquer
hierarchical_section_title: Conservation and restoration of lacquerware / Production and History of Lacquer / Asian Lacquer
caption_attribution_description: English: Ryukyu Lacquer Production, Okinawa, Japan
context_page_description: The conservation and restoration of lacquerware prevents and mitigates deterioration or damage to objects made with lacquer. The two main types of lacquer are Asian, made with sap from the Urushi tree, and European, made with a variety of shellac and natural resins. Lacquer can be damaged by age, light, water, temperature, or damaged substrate.
  Conservation treatments include dry cleaning, wet cleaning, consolidation and filling losses. Eastern cultures use Asian lacquer to repair damages and fill and consolidate losses. Western cultures typically use alternate materials that can be reversed with minimal risk to the original object.
context_section_description: Traditional Asian lacquer has been used for centuries and is derived from sap, prominently that from the Urushi tree; part of the sumac family grown throughout Japan, China and Korea. Sap from the tree contains a chemical compound called urishiol that hardens when exposed to humidity. The sap is processed to remove impurities. The production of lacquerware involves a process of applying a ground layer, oftentimes lacquer mixed with other substances such as clay or a layer of fabric, followed by many very thin layers of processed lacquer to a substrate, typically wood, and allowing them to dry completely, then curing and polishing.
caption: Ryukyu Lacquer Production, Okinawa, Japan
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