Page 96 - China, 5000 years : innovation and transformation in the arts

Fig. 4. Lacquered wood coffin from Mawangdui tomb
No. 1.
new effects: cutwork designs of precious metal leaf
or foil might be applied to the surface of the
lacquerware, covered with several layers of lacquer,
then the whole rubbed just till the gleaming metal
emerged flush with the surrounding lacquer, a
technique called pingtuo; or patterns might be created
in the lacquerware by inlaying thin sheets of mother-
of-pearl or other iridescent shells. Both these
techniques are found on mirror backs, mirror cases,
musical instruments, and a variety of other objects.
During the middle and late Tang dynasty a series of
events occurred that profoundly affected lacquer
production and attitudes toward it and a variety of
other materials. The An Lushan rebellion of 755
vastly diminished the political and economic power
of the Tang hereditary elite. During the remainder
of the Tang dynasty other societal groups emerged
as the principal arbiters of taste. They often showed
a preference for native materials, including lacquer
in more traditional forms.
As the political fortunes of the Tang ruling clans
declined, China's borders contracted and the
Central Asian trade routes were interrupted by
foreign conquest. This encouraged the resurgence
of native traditions in the arts, which continued
through the Five Dynasties period (907-960) and
on into the Song dynasty (960-1279). An increased
emphasis on the tenets of Confucianism, a rise in
Daoism and certain forms of Buddhism, and the
development of strong regional patronage for a
SO FINE A LUSTER: CHINESE WL A C Q U E R A R E S
variety of arts marked this long period of time.
During this period tea became a national obsession.
The need for vessels and implements to prepare,
present, and drink this beverage, along with those
for the foods that came to be associated with it, also
had a broad-ranging impact on such mediums as
ceramics and lacquers.
The artistic movements brought about by these
changes in attitude and patronage were fully
realized during the Song dynasty. Influenced by
Confucian principles and inspired by conscious
archaism, the people of the Song took renewed
interest in the arts and philosophies of the Han
dynasty and earlier. Cut off by hostile neighbors
from the foreign influences that had been so strong
during the earlier centuries of the Tang dynasty,
Song dynasty artists innovated within traditional
Chinese mediums. Among these was lacquer.
Song dynasty innovations in lacquer included
making lighter and stronger cores, rendering details
of the decoration in relief by means of a moldable
paste made by adding materials such as fine clay or
ash to liquid lacquer, and applying sufficient
numbers of layers to allow deep carving in the
lacquer. Many of the pieces created during this
period were elegant utilitarian vessels and domestic
furniture. Others were specially designed to serve in
Buddhist ritual practices.
The lacquer cup stand (fig. 5) illustrates many of
these patronage and artistic issues. Designed for the
display or presentation of a cup, it is a prime
example of the group of objects that were created