A bit of history #
Connoisseurship of lacquer has existed in China for a very long time, with much discussion of this topic in old writings. In particular, these discussion are often surrounding the topic of the Guqin (古琴), an ancient Chinese instrument.
With age and over a long period of time combined with changes in environment and humidity, it is not uncommon for lacquer to develop cracks. These cracks are known as “断纹” duàn wén or “broken patterns.” It is within this context, that the dating of a qin based on it’s particular cracking pattern was frequently debated.
There are many types of these crack patterns with quite descriptive names:
- Cracked Ice Patterns 冰爆裂 Bīng bào liè
- Snake Belly Patterns 蛇腹裂 Shéfù liè
- Cow Hair Patterns 牛毛裂 Niúmáo liè
- Running Water Patterns 流水断 Liúshuǐ duàn
- Plum Blossom Patterns 梅花裂 Méihuā liè
- Turtle Shell Patterns 龜背紋 Guī bèi wén
Of course this effect is not just limited to the Guqin and can occur on furniture and other objects as well.
Antique cabinets with a crackled finish that has developed over time.
In an effort to reproduce these subtle patterns, many master lacquerers have developed different imitation techniques. Generally forms of lacquer intended to replicate this effect are known as 裂纹漆 Lièwén qī or “crackled lacquer.”
Now the term “crackle lacquer” can accommodate many different types, so in this case we must be a bit more specific. The exact technique here is called 布纹漆 bù wén qī which roughly means “fabric crackled lacquer.”
- A large sheet of fabric (often a course, light cotton) is laid out on top of a flat even surface such as a large sheet of plywood or a tabletop. A even coating of “Nizi” – a kind of adhesive gesso, is spread evenly over the surface of the material. This both protects the lacquer from changes in the wood as well as provides a base coat, much in the same way an undercoat of paint is used on a wall. The adhesive is then let to air dry for a short period of time.
- Lacquer is then brushed over-top the layer of “nizi” – usually at least five or six times depending on the desired thickness desired. This is then left to air dry for at least two or three days. Drying time depends on the humidity.
- After a few days when the lacquer has dried completely, a fine sandpaper is used to smooth out and polish the surface. The hardened, but fragile lacquer-coated fabric is then taken by one end of the fabric and lifted up, causing cracks in the surface of the lacquer as it is pulled up.
- Pieces are then cut to fit the surface of the furniture and the various sheets affixed onto the surfaces and sides of the piece.
- A coat of clear lacquer is finally applied to protect it.
The final result #
A final warning #
Of course these techniques can also be used to create very convincing fakes as evidenced by these copies below. Each of these pieces are replicas.. They are very well made, very carefully aged and the technique is wielded particularly well. These would easily deceive most non-experts.
Buyer beware.
4 Responses
I read about the process of “cracked lacquer” by applying fabric, then lacquer. Doesn’t lacquer
get a cracked surface after a period of time on its own? After what period of time does lacquer acquire a cracked surface? How do you tell if it is cracked due to age or to the process you have used here?
This is a good question – and the answer is worthy of a new posting. Stay tuned…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article duction furnitures. From the folks at antique-chinese-furniture.com. (muebles chinos antiguos, mobilia cinese antica, Chinois – chinesische Möbel der Antike ), but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
I have Furniture blog.
But you site is better than my.