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Which shells were used in East Asian lacquer inlay work?
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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.
In East Asian lacquerwork, various types of shells were utilized for inlay decoration, a technique often referred to as raden in Japan. The shells commonly employed for this purpose included:12
- Mother-of-pearl: Used extensively for both large-scale work and intricate, delicate designs.13
- Sea-ear (Haliotis): Known in Japanese as Awabi, the iridescent blue and green shell of the sea-ear was particularly prized for the laque burgautée technique (also known as aogai in Japan and lo tien in China).14
- Nautilus: Utilized for its decorative properties in inlay.1
- Pear shell: Another variety of shell historically used in the adornment of lacquer.1
- Turbo cornutus: Known in Japanese as Sazae, this shell was also a traditional material for inlay.1
These materials were often cut into specific designs, small squares, or crushed into particles to be scattered over the lacquer surface. In addition to these shells, Chinese artisans also inlaid lacquer with other substances such as jade, malachite, coral, soapstone, ivory, and porcelain.12