The production of a cinnabar lacquer piece is a fascinating and time consuming process.
First, the base work was produced, whether it was a vase or a brooch. Next, layer after layer of cinnabar lacquer was applied. Often layers would alternate in color to achieve a multicolor effect in the design, and some pieces would feature more than 300 coats of lacquer.
Each layer would have to dry before a new one was applied, so pieces could take months
to prepare. Once the lacquer layers had reached the correct depth so the carving process could begin.
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