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How did Chinese artists make designs from layers of differently colored carved lacquer?

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Qianlong imperial throne — lacquerwork Imperial Chinese throne of the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1735–96), red lacquer carved in dragons and floral scrolls, Qing dynasty; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

To create designs from layers of differently colored lacquer, Chinese artists employed a meticulous process known as diaoqi.

First, the lacquer was built up to a considerable thickness by applying successive layers of uniform thickness in the specific order required for the final design. Once this mass was complete and homogeneous, the artist would cut back from the surface to expose the underlying colors as needed.

Because no corrections were possible, the final result had to be precisely foreseen from the beginning of the work. Once the lacquer was cold and hard, the carving was executed with a very sharp, V-shaped tool. This process required amazing precision, as each layer had to be reached accurately to reveal the intended colors and patterns.1