Celebrate The Olympics - Our Artisans From China
08/08/08 - Considered by many to be a magical number - and the date when the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will begin. In honor of the games, we are highlighting the exquisite lacquer products we carry, and the highly skilled and talented Chinese artisans who make them.
Laquer has a long and rich tradition in Asia. It has been produced since prehistoric times as a compound to protect and decorate a wide array of objet d'art and furniture.
Laquer is produced from urushi (the Japanese name for the plant,) and is collected as milky sap from the trees. The tree is in the same family as sumac, poison ivy and oak, mango and cashew. After the sap is collected, it is stirred, heated, filtered and stored for later use.
All of our lacquer products are made of solid hardwoods. The lacquer is applied to the wood in very thin layers and each layer cures for a day or longer. It is then polished and another layer is applied. Then the process is repeated until the artisan is satisfied with the finish. The production of lacquered objects is a painstaking process involving many steps and often a series of craftsmen. And an important note: many modern pieces are never touched by human hands - the lacquer is applied by machines. Our pieces have all been through a hand-poured process. This accounts for the extreme smoothness and beauty of the products.
Lacquer hardens as a result of a chemical reaction, that can only take place in the presence of high humidity. The resulting material is hard and durable, and resistant to water, acids, scratches and heat. In fact, high quality lacquer is so durable that some lacquerware has been recovered from archaeological excavations and underwater sites - still in good condition.
Individual pieces of lacquer can take years to produce. And because of its value at one time lacquerware was restricted to certain classes in China, Japan and Korea, and its production was regulated by the state.
Our luxury lacquerware pieces are designed by John Kauphusman and Tin Wong. And John and Tin own the production facility in China that produces their exquisite hand-poured lacquer pieces. We are very proud to carry their custom pieces, made in the centuries old tradition.
Laquer has a long and rich tradition in Asia. It has been produced since prehistoric times as a compound to protect and decorate a wide array of objet d'art and furniture.
Laquer is produced from urushi (the Japanese name for the plant,) and is collected as milky sap from the trees. The tree is in the same family as sumac, poison ivy and oak, mango and cashew. After the sap is collected, it is stirred, heated, filtered and stored for later use.
All of our lacquer products are made of solid hardwoods. The lacquer is applied to the wood in very thin layers and each layer cures for a day or longer. It is then polished and another layer is applied. Then the process is repeated until the artisan is satisfied with the finish. The production of lacquered objects is a painstaking process involving many steps and often a series of craftsmen. And an important note: many modern pieces are never touched by human hands - the lacquer is applied by machines. Our pieces have all been through a hand-poured process. This accounts for the extreme smoothness and beauty of the products.
Lacquer hardens as a result of a chemical reaction, that can only take place in the presence of high humidity. The resulting material is hard and durable, and resistant to water, acids, scratches and heat. In fact, high quality lacquer is so durable that some lacquerware has been recovered from archaeological excavations and underwater sites - still in good condition.
Individual pieces of lacquer can take years to produce. And because of its value at one time lacquerware was restricted to certain classes in China, Japan and Korea, and its production was regulated by the state.
Our luxury lacquerware pieces are designed by John Kauphusman and Tin Wong. And John and Tin own the production facility in China that produces their exquisite hand-poured lacquer pieces. We are very proud to carry their custom pieces, made in the centuries old tradition.
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