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Ottchil, the Coated Splendor of Asian Lacquerwares

from National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.58

by National Museum of Korea

from National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.58, page 4

Article from: National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.58

TRAVELLING WORKS

CURRENT

by Noh Namhee Assistant Curator of the World Arts Division, National Museum of Korea

December 21, 2021 – March 20, 2022 National Museum of Korea

**Trefoil-shaped Covered Box with Chrysanthemum Scroll Design on display**

The special exhibition Ottchil, the Coated Splendor of Asian Lacquerwares tells a story that begins with a special tree—the lacquer tree, which grows only in Asia. This exhibition shows how lacquer, the sap from the tree, evolved from its functional beginnings to create the diverse lacquer culture of Asia.

Creating a lacquerware is a long process, starting with collecting the sap and involving repeated application of the lacquer, or ottchil. However, lacquerware has been called the “art of time” because once an item is made in this way it endures for a much longer time than usual. In addition, lacquer was applied to various materials such as wood, leather, and fabric to create various types of lacquerwares that evolved into sumptuous works of art when decorated with motherof-pearl, gold, and other luxurious materials. The exhibition focuses on the time aspect, material qualities, and artistry of lacquer work, and shows the diversity of lacquerware by examining how Asian peoples used common materials to develop wares that varied from region to region.

The exhibition starts with a prologue in the form of a media art piece. With the lacquer tree as its theme, the video consists of a mixture of black and white images of the lacquer tree, in whole and in parts, the sap that gathers when notches are made in the bark of the tree, and the lacquer when it has been purified. The video is projected onto a long piece of textile similar to hemp, which is used to make lacquerware, and visitors pass through this virtual “lacquer tree space” to enter the exhibition proper.

**Fig.1 Lacquered Mirror with Flower and Animal Design**

**A display showing the late Joseon Dynasty lacquerware that varied in shapes and designs**

Part 1 of the exhibition, “Meeting Lacquerware,” gives visitors basic information about lacquer and lacquerware. The flower-shaped cups and stands indicate that lacquerware was made in diverse forms, like contemporaneous ceramics and metalcraft items, and there is an explanation of lacquer and the lacquerware production process. Information on why lacquer is used, how the sap from the lacquer tree is purified to make a coating material, and the many varied processes required to make even a simple wooden lacquered object is provided through text in question and answer form, replicas showing the production processes, and videos.

Lacquer was originally used as a varnish for the functional purpose of protecting objects from water and insect damage. But when people noticed its unique gloss and adhesive properties they created various decorative techniques that made use of it. Part 2 of the exhibition, “Decorating Lacquerware,” looks at three different types of techniques: using lacquer to add color, using lacquer to draw or inscribe designs, and using the adhesive properties of lacquer to attach decorative metal designs cut out of gold or silver sheet. Lacquer is originally a colorless, natural varnish. A technique used from early times was to mix lacquer with materials such as iron oxide or cinnabar to create lacquer that is black, red, or another color, which was then used to paint decorative designs on items. Then in East Asia during the seventh and eighth centuries, the pyeongtal technique became popular. This involved cutting decorative shapes out of thin gold

**A display showing the Chinese carved lacquer**

or silver sheet, which were then attached to the surface of lacquered objects and lacquered over again. The surface of the object was ground and polished to reveal the metal designs underneath. Some bronze mirrors from the Unified Silla period in Korea were also decorated with this technique Fig.1.

In Part 3, “Revealing Regional Characteristics,” lacquerware from Korea, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia can be compared according to the distinctive decorative techniques that developed in each region, in addition to those examined in part 2 of the exhibition. Particularly notable techniques include the Korean mother-of-pearl inlay technique (najeon), where thin pieces of shell are inlaid on a lacquered surface; the Chinese carved lacquer (diaoqi), where lacquer is applied in thick layers and a design is then carved into the surface; and the Japanese technique of sprinkling gold powder on a lacquered surface before it dries to make designs (maki-e) Fig.4. In Southeast Asia, lacquerware has been produced mainly in Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, and diverse decorative techniques have been used, such as attaching molded lacquer shapes or colored glass to the surface. The section devoted to Chinese carved lacquer features 34 varied items from the Shanghai Museum in China Fig.3.

The central exhibit is the Trefoil-shaped Covered Box with Inlaid Chrysanthemum Design, which was acquired from Japan in 2020 and is on display for the first time. This covered box is one of the finest works of lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl produced during the Goryeo Dynasty 918–

**Fig.3 Carved Lacquer Box Late Yuan or early Ming Dynasties, 14th century H.13.6cm, W.12.0×12.0cm Shanghai Museum**

1392, and is one of only three extant trefoilshaped covered boxes inlaid with motherof-pearl in the world that remain intact. Before entering the space where the covered box is displayed, visitors watch a video that traces its long history and inspires their curiosity.

For a long time, the production of lacquerware was limited to Asia and its use to a very small class of people, but over time it moved beyond these regional and social boundaries. Part 4 of the exhibition, “Transcending Boundaries,” features lacquerware that reflects these changes. During the Age of Discovery, Japan made lacquerware especially for export to Europe. Called nanban lacquerware, it is characterized by unique shapes and luxurious decoration. In this exhibition, two pieces of nanban lacquerware owned by the Tokyo National Museum in Japan are on display, giving visitors a chance to see the type of items that caught the attention of Europeans Fig.2. In addition, other lacquerware that represents the crossing of boundaries includes late Joseon Dynasty lacquerware that show changes in shapes and designs that occurred when usage expanded beyond a privileged class, and lacquerware from Myanmar, which is now a major tourist product of Southeast Asia.

Finally, the epilogue section features the works of artists who have modernized lacquer craft with the support of the Korea Craft and Design Foundation. Visitors will be able to round off their appreciation of the exhibition by examining the various attributes of lacquerware and its modern variations.

This article is from:

National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.58

by National Museum of Korea