Carved Cinnabar Lacquers

Lacquered art pieces have been produced in China for many centuries. Lacquer is produced from the sap of the lac tree. Various pigments are added to the resulting lacquer to change its color, and then the lacquer is applied in many coats to an art object. After many coats, the lacquer is carved, producing unique designs, patterns, and subjects. On lacquer, which was prominent throughout China, was cinnabar lacquer, which was made by mixing a seemingly innocuous mineral called cinnabar with lacquer.