Yichun is situated in the north-west of the Jiangxi Province and is famous for its bodiless lacquer ware. Through the centuries, it has become a centre of production for bodiless lacquer ware distributed throughout China and overseas.
Bodiless lacquer ware is considered one of the three famous folk treasures along with Jingdezhen porcelain and Beijing cloisonné. Bodiless lacquer ware is light, durable and resistant to moisture, corrosion, alkaline and fading. A mould made from wood, clay or plastic is needed as the base of the lacquer ware. Thick raw lacquer is used as glue to create the body. It is then wrapped in ramie or silk to dry. After it has completely dried, the body is removed and polished. Lacquer ware made in Yichun include vases, cigarette cases, tea pots, bowls and ink pads.
Bodiless lacquer ware first started to be used in Yichun during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It became one of the leading lacquer ware techniques in Yichun in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). By the formation of the People’s Republic of China (1949), more than twenty bodiless lacquer ware workshops had been set up in Yichun with over one hundred employees specializing in the craft. Chonggui Road and Zhongshan Road in Yichun were both filled with famous lacquer workshops including Zouhuatong, Yirongtai, Wangchuntai and Wanhuali.
Yichun has won many awards for its amazing lacquer techniques. Yichun bodiless lacquer ware was awarded the silver medal in the Nanyang Match during the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China (1949) it received another twenty national and provincial class awards for its designs and amazing crafting skills. It has been exported to over twenty countries and received world wide acclaim for its original handcrafted designs.
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