Page 91 - China, 5000 years : innovation and transformation in the arts

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So Fine a Luster:

Chinese Lacquerwares

Michael Knight

Curator of Chinese Art, Asian Art

Museum of San Francisco

The objects grouped together as lacquers

{qiqi) share the common feature of being

coated with a durable substance derived

from the sap of the tree rims verniciflua, a

native of China. The Chinese have lon«;

valued the durability of this material and

admired its inherent beauty. Its sumptu-

ous surfaces and broad range of applica-

tions have made it a favorite of members

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