Chinese lacquer techniques: the beauty of fakes #
I am by far not an expert and to be honest, my main advantage is simply having the opportunity to see, touch & feel different restored, un-restored pieces of Chinese furniture on a regular basis.
When the factory is literally right behind you and you can hang out with the workers and see the entire process, one can learn a lot quickly.
Like check out this aged finish. Yup, that’s right – this technique involves literally burning off the layer of lacquer you just applied.
So yes, having access to the factory is useful when it comes to recognizing fakes and the different Chinese lacquer techniques one might come across.
Anyways, onto our main example:
If I didn’t have the chance to spend years in the workshop, I might assume this table is a genuine antique.
Its a great reproduction and the finish genuinely feels like it has age – from the coloration to the crackle to the rubbed edges and dirtiness of it all. Though hard to see from the photos, it also has a certain dirty feel to it, giving the impression it has been just recently unearthed from the ground.
When I get a free moment, I need to talk with the worker to see exactly how they do this particular lacquering technique – though I am guessing it involves a fabric base, some dirt and probably a blow torch.
There are nevertheless some clues to its age, including the fresh wood on the edges where we can see its been both burned AND sanded raw. That doesn’t feel natural at all.
FAKE: How they create CHINESE CRACKED LACQUER FINISH #
Now the term “crackle lacquer” can accommodate many different types,. This exact technique is called 布纹漆 bù wén qī which roughly means “fabric crackled lacquer.”
One Response
The crackle technique sounds harsh it just does not resonate with the idea of fragile antiques, but then that is the point you are making . The reality and the dream are totally polar opposites.