Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did lacquer decoration change during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
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.
During the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty, lacquer decoration shifted away from the bold, freely flowing, and deeply carved styles that characterized the earlier Yongle and Xuande reigns.12
Instead, the Jiajing period saw the emergence of more realistic and intricate designs. These later works are distinguished by several technical and aesthetic changes:
- Carving Depth: Designs became shallower and more sharply carved compared to the deep, plastic style of the early Ming.1
- Layering: Artisans sometimes carved through as many as nine layers of different colored lacquer to achieve their effects.1
- Backgrounds: The backgrounds of these pieces were often composed of minute brocade (allover floral and figure designs) or diaper (diamond-shaped) patterns.1
Other popular techniques during the middle decades of the Ming included guri (carving through alternate layers of red and black lacquer), inlaying one color with another, and outlining inlays with engraved lines filled with gold lacquer.1