Lacquer Research Articles

Technical features of traditional engrave panting in lacquer works at Binh Duong

Lacquer comes in a variety of forms and styles of expression, like clear warm cockroach paint and jet black lacquer, which merge in harmony with many other materials (eggs, pearls, gold, silver, lipstick, colors, and so on) to create a work of profound artistic language. Artists have conveyed these forms and techniques through lacquer paintings. With a comprehensive expression of typical materials combined with abrasive painting techniques (interlacing, snailegg carving techniques, embossed relief painting techniques, gold cupping techniques, sunken engraving techniques, engraved paint or so on), each type of lacquer painting in Binh Duong has become more effective than expected. Among the current lacquer techniques, the engraving technique involves the artisan's meticulousness and expertise when utilizing sharp, blunt tools to carve into the paint surface while also creating evenly spaced engraving lines. These engraved lines have become a defining feature of Binh Duong's painting and engravingtechniques. Because of the above distinguishing features, the author employed an artistic research approach to analyze and evaluate several traditional lacquer painting styles in Binh Duong. To clearly see the artistic value of the engraving technique in Binh Duong, it must be recognized as a true core value that deserves to be cherished and promoted in creativity, education, and vocational transmission, especially given the risk that traditional occupationsare gradually disappearing, as they are today.

Research on the Application of Lacquer Painting Techniques in Modern Handicrafts

Research on the Application of Lacquer Painting Techniques in Modern Handicrafts

Research on the Formation and Generation of Schema in Lacquer Painting Creation

Research on the Formation and Generation of Schema in Lacquer Painting Creation

Inheritance and innovation in lacquer painting teaching

Lacquer painting is an important school in the traditional painting art of our country, which has a long history and a unique artistic expression form. As an ancient and unique art form, lacquer painting has always carried the treasures of traditional culture and historical memory. However, with the progress of the times and the development of society, the teaching of lacquer painting is facing the dual challenges of inheritance and innovation. Especially, in the teaching of lacquer painting in colleges and universities, excessive emphasis is placed on craft techniques and theories, as well as the "painting flavor" of lacquer painting, while ignoring the expression of the creator's spirit and the innovation of the times. Strengthening the inheritance and innovation of lacquer painting has been widely valued. This paper aims to explore how to innovate on the basis of inheritance and realize the sustainable development of lacquer painting art.

Obscured Brilliance: Modern and Contemporary Vietnamese Lacquer

This article gives a brief overview of the development of Vietnamese lacquer painting, a unique art form, which came into being due to French and Vietnamese artists collaborating in the 1920s and has continued to flourish throughout the ensuing periods of war and independence. Under-theorised and relatively obscure, the use of layering, combining mixed media and sanding processes, differed from lacquer arts in other Asian countries at the time, and can be used create a spectacular array of textures and finishes. While the impact of the political context on artistic expression has been explored elsewhere, this study has focused on the processes, techniques and modern styles in the context of the global art world.

Improving the lightfastness and thermal stability of black urushi (oriental lacquer) by kraft lignin oleate

Urushi, an oriental lacquer, is sensitive to light and easily deteriorates upon light exposure, leading to the fading and loss of gloss of its coatings. In this study, we attempted to improve the lightfastness of black urushi by utilizing the UV-absorbing properties of kraft lignin. Oleic acid-esterified kraft lignin was prepared and added to the black urushi to improve the compatibility. No aggregation of oleic acid-esterified lignin occurred in the black urushi, and the physical properties of the films were maintained to a large extent. A possible chemical interaction between lignin and black urushi was suggested upon thermal analysis. It was also found that the addition of lignin improved the thermal dimensional stability of black urushi. Finally, the high gloss factor of the black urushi film was maintained by adding oleic acid-esterified lignin after 168 h of light irradiation. Oleic acid-esterified lignin therefore appears as a promising functional additive to improve photostability of urushi coatings.

Japan: Travel notes

The article covers some of the most prominent cultural landmarks of central Japan. Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, and their suburbs and nearest region were the foundation and all the fundamental principles of Japanese architecture and art, in particular the art of calligraphy, ceramics, red lacquer painting, and the famous Japanese weaponry. Nara became Japan’s first permanent capital in 710 (by the order of Empress Gemmei), a 72-year period in Japanese history known as the “Nara Age.” It is noted that Buddhism, and later Zen Buddhism, first came to this territory from China. For twelve centuries, Buddhist art was considered a “Japanese classic.” On the territory of the Nara temple complex, one can observe the organic coexistence of ancient Shintoism and Buddhism adapted to the consciousness of the Japanese. In the central region, a revered archaeological site is the underground structure of Isi-Butai, which dates to the ancient Asuka period (538–645). Despite many years of research of this attraction, the so-called “stone stage”, the water pipe laid in the dungeon, other details remain mysterious (about their origin) and are of keen interest to archaeologists. The paper also provides information about the Horyuji architectural ensemble (607–623). The focus is on the personality and educational role of Prince Shyotoku, who succeeded Empress Hashihito no Anahobe, the prince’s mother. The Chugudi temple (Ikaruga’s old palace) was dedicated by Shōtoku to his mother’s memory. Now there are only a few stones from this temple. Information is provided about the sculptural masterpiece of the Asuka era—the statue (national treasure) Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu, which is one of the most poetic sculptures in Japanese plastic. Special attention is paid to the embroidered sacred banner Tenjukoku Shūchō Mandala depicting the “Land of Heavenly Longevity.” The fabric is considered the oldest embroidery in Japan.

Urushi as a Green Component for Thermally Curable Colloidal Lignin Particles and Hydrophobic Coatings.

Colloidal lignin nanoparticles are promising building blocks for sustainable functional materials. However, their instability in organic solvents and aqueous alkali limits their applicability. Current stabilization methods require nonrenewable and toxic reagents or tedious workup procedures. Here we show a method to prepare hybrid nanoparticles using only natural components. Urushi, a form of black oriental lacquer, and lignin are coaggregated to form hybrid particles, with Urushi acting as a sustainable component that stabilizes the particles via hydration barrier effect and thermally triggered internal cross-linking. The weight fractions of the two components can be adjusted to achieve the desired level of stabilization. Hybrid particles with Urushi content >25 wt % undergo interparticle cross-linking that produces multifunctional hydrophobic protective coatings that improve the water resistance of wood. This approach provides a sustainable and efficient method for stabilizing lignin nanoparticles and opens up neoteric possibilities for the development of lignin-based advanced functional materials.

From Lacquer Painting to Kintsukuroi: A Rheological Study of Kintsukuroi

The word “Kintsukuroi” originated from Japan, but its origin is traced back to the traditional Chinese art of repairing ancient artifacts - lacquer painting. The repair technique not only has a long history in China, but also has influenced the formation and development of artifact repair in many countries and regions in the world. Based on the perspective of intangible cultural heritage, this paper analyzes and studies the ancient Chinese traditional lacquer calligraphist by sorting out the evolution of the Kintsukuroi process. At the same time, under the background of cultural confidence, this paper also continuously enhances the spiritual cohesion of the Chinese nation, and promotes the revival and inheritance of Chinese traditional craftsmanship.

Монах-художник иеродиакон Афоний (Вишняков): материалы к жизнеописанию

85 years ago, on March 17, 1938, on the territory of the Butovo special zone of the NKVD, a large group of christians was shot - 11 people from a secret monastic community that existed in the city of Sergiev Posad (since 1930 - Zagorsk) in the 20-30s. XX century. One of them was Hierodeacon Afoniy (in the world - Vishnyakov Alexander Egorovich, 1870-1938), an artist, a master of lacquer painting, who played an important role in the preservation and development of the traditions of folk lacquer painting in Soviet times. He came from a family of peasant painters, the creators of the Zhostovo tray craft. From 1892 he was a monk, later a hierodeacon of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and for some time a subdeacon of St. Patriarch Tikhon. An active participant in the secret monastic life in the city of Sergiev Posad (since 1930, Zagorsk) in the 20s - mid-30s. XX century. The article makes an attempt on the basis of newly studied documents, primarily the archival and investigative case of a group of believers, in which Fr. Afoniy, and documents of personal origin show the circumstances of the life path, arrest and execution of an outstanding monk-artist. A significant part of the documents is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

The use of herbal extracts in lacquer paint coloring and determination of some mechanical resistance properties on wood-based surfaces

The use of herbal extracts in lacquer paint coloring and determination of some mechanical resistance properties on wood-based surfaces

Characterization of the Materials and Techniques of Red Lacquer Painting of a Horizontal Plaque Inscribed by General Feng Yü-hsiang

The “Tian Di Chang Chun” horizontal plaque was inscribed by General Feng Yü-hsiang in R.O.C. 25 (1936). Due to the aging of the materials and some factors in the preservation environment, the red painted layer on the surface of the plaque has shed. In this study, in order to analyse the materials and techniques used for the production of the inscribed plaques, the digital microscope system, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) were used to analyse the materials and techniques used on this plaque. It has been shown that the decorative layer of the plaque consists of a red Chinese lacquer film layer on the surface and a ground layer. The red lacquer film layer comprises Chinese lacquer, tung oil, and cinnabar. The materials used for the ground layer are blood putty made of a blood product, youman (flour–oil–lime mixture), and brick powder. The technique used is the SDH (San Dao Hui) layer technique in ancient buildings. This study provides physical evidence regarding the materials and techniques used in inscribed plaque relics, and also provides technical support to further protect and restore the plaque.

Construction and Management of Lacquer Painting as a Discipline in Chinese Colleges and Universities: An Analysis

Lacquer painting in China is gaining recognition and growing rapidly. Many colleges and universities have set up the subject of lacquer painting, but there is no systematic understanding of how to set up the subject of lacquer painting. The author would like to find out the advantages and disadvantages of the study. Further, the research will provide and theoretical reference for the improvement of the subject construction of lacquer painting. This paper summarizes the formation, development and present situation of lacquer painting by means of literature research. Employing comparative analysis, on the construction of lacquer painting subject in several representative fine arts colleges and comprehensive universities, and finds out the characteristics of the construction of lacquer painting subject in colleges and universities in China. The author believes that the subject construction of lacquer painting should further optimize the teaching mode, strengthen the faculty and discipline management, in order to make the subject of lacquer painting in Chinese colleges and universities further develop.

Overview of the history of painting and lacquer art in Vietnam

Traditional Vietnamese lacquer is recognized through professional and historical forms. First of all, decorative painted relics, associated with religious beliefs, have served in spiritual life through worshiping items in pagodas, temples, communal houses, and palaces. Architectural columns and horizontal lacquered board are applied in hammocks, couplets, animism, four holy creatures, flowers of the four seasons, eight precious items of Buddhism, Baguio, palanquin, hammock, long communal house, worshipping paintings, decorative paintings... Especially Vietnamese lacquer painting through actual labor, practical works, research, and application of traditional techniques in the artistic creation of artists, has formed the appearance of traditional Vietnamese lacquer art in the past over the course of more than two thousand years of history.

The visual beauty of modern lacquer painting colors

The visual beauty of modern lacquer painting colors

Urushiol modified epoxy acrylate as UV spray painting oriental lacquer ink.

As a natural "water-based" polymer composite material, oriental lacquer is often referred to as the "king of coatings" and is used as a coating in the defense industry, chemical industry, petroleum industry, metallurgy and mining industry, textile painting and dyeing industry, pharmaceutical industry, as well as the protection of ancient buildings and cultural relics. However, the development of modern industrialization is greatly hindered by the high viscosity of oriental lacquer, the difficulty of spraying, the long drying cycle, and the seriousness of allergenicity. Herein, based on the principle of oriental lacquer and the characteristics of prepolymer in ink, we developed a new prepolymer for modulating UV oriental lacquer ink and explored the feasibility of using it as a raw material for UV spray painting. In this study, lacquer phenol was extracted from oriental lacquer and modified with epoxy acrylate by a simple mechanical compounding method to obtain lacquer epoxy acrylate. Moreover, the UV spray painting oriental lacquer ink was also prepared by using it as the main film-forming substance. The orthogonal experiment method was used to optimize the best formulation of UV spray painting oriental lacquer ink by using nozzle passability, viscosity and curing time as test indexes. Meanwhile, the film properties of UV spray painting oriental lacquer inks were also evaluated. The test results show that the UV spray painting oriental lacquer ink prepared with urushiol epoxy acrylate has better dispersion, excellent paint film performance, and solves the problem that oriental lacquer cannot be printed. This present work shows that urushiol epoxy acrylate as a new type of prepolymer has broad application prospects in the actual preparation of UV inks.

Eco-Friendly, Colored Lacquer Palettes Derived from Catechol Lipid-Based Bioresin

We report the method of production of eco-friendly, colored lacquer palettes that are characterized by excellent adhesion strength and strong durability from waterborne catechol lipid-based bioresin extracted from lacquer trees. We focused on the saturation behavior of the color of the coated surface based on the amount of the added pigments. The optical properties and colors of the pigment-containing lacquer were studied using Kubelka–Munk theory and the CIE L*a*b* color space, respectively. Color saturation for the colored lacquer-coated surfaces was achieved at the pigment content of 50 wt % for red and blue. When the pigment content was 40 wt %, color saturation was achieved for green and yellow. The materials exhibited excellent adhesive properties (5B), and the hardness was 2–3H. In addition, it was observed that with the progress of the aging time over 2 years, the color of the lacquer-coated surfaces changed, and a bright and intense surface was formed. The change in color could be attributed to the bleaching effect of the oriental lacquer binder. The results reported herein can potentially help in obtaining a green solution for preparing eco-friendly colored lacquer palettes and predicting the color development observed for highly decorative and protective coatings.

Factors Affecting the Development of Vietnam Lacquer Paints

Factors Affecting the Development of Vietnam Lacquer Paints

Characterization and Analysis of Very Volatile Organic Compounds and Odors from Medium Density Fiberboard Coated with Differenet Lacquers Using Gas Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry and Olfactormetry

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from furniture and interior furnishing materials have been proven to pose adverse health effects. However, very VOCs (VVOCs) and odors were rarely taken into account. To bridge this gap, emissions of VVOCs and odors from medium density fiberboard (MDF) coated with different lacquers were characterized using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and olfactometry detection. The results demonstrated that the total VVOC AT THE 28th d (TVVOC28) from the control sample was higher than that of the other three lacquered samples. Alcohol VVOCs were the most abundant chemicals from the control MDF, followed by ketones, esters, and ethers, accounting for more than 90% of the total concentration. Also, they were the major odor-contributing substances with higher odor intensities. Nitrocellulose (NC), polyurethane (PU), and water-based (WB) lacquer paintings had a suppressive effect on the emission of certain VVOCs but promotion of the others. After the lacquer paintings, alcohols and ethers were the major components, accounting for 82.3% ~ 88.0% of the total VVOC. In addition, odors were affected by these three lacquer paintings. Fruity was the dominant odor impression of MDF, NC and PU decoration MDF, with an odor rating of 4.4, 7.1, and 4.9, respectively. A multiodor mixture was the major odor impression of WB decoration MDF, with an odor rating around 4.0. The odor may differ from one lacquer to another. Additionally, a newly added fishy-like odor arose in PU lacquer painting. From the data analysis of this study, PU and WB decoration MDF might be suitable for furniture or decorative materials due to their lower pollutants and odor emissions. Based on the comprehensive evaluation indices, the latter may be more preferred and was highly recommended for indoor applications.

Photo-Curable Lacquer Sap Resin Based on Urushiol-Mimicking, Tyrosine-Containing Additive.

Oriental lacquer sap is attracting considerable attention as a renewable and eco-friendly natural resin with high durability, heat resistance, insulation, insect repellency, and antiseptic and antibacterial properties. However, to ensure excellent coating performance, it is necessary to improve the drying/curing process of lacquer sap with a time-consuming drying time at high humidity [relative humidity (RH), 70-90%] and ambient temperature (20-30 °C). Drawing on an understanding of the polymerization mechanism of urushiol, the main component of the lacquer sap consisted of a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion, and this study presents an eco-friendly additive that mimics the structure-function of urushiol composed of a polar catechol head group and a nonpolar hydrocarbon tail. A photo-curable lacquer sap was thus developed by adding a tyrosine amino acid-based lipid agent (denoted as Y-ADDA), which allows faster and more effective drying/curing at lower humidity while maintaining the nature-derived properties of lacquer sap. Y-ADDA easily coassembles with urushiol in the W/O emulsion droplets, thereby significantly accelerating the formation of a polymer network along with urushiol during water evaporation leading to fast drying/curing under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation at low humidity (∼50% RH). The UV-cured lacquer sap resins showed higher performance in terms of film processing and physicochemical properties compared with that of the lacquer containing only tyrosine amino acids without aliphatic tail conjugation, N-(9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl)-O-tert-butyl-l-tyrosine Fmoc-Tyr(tBu)-OH. Furthermore, the drying and curing times, film morphology, transmittance, hardness, and adhesion strength of the UV-cured lacquer were markedly superior compared to those of shellac, a general eco-friendly fast-drying primer. The study provides useful strategies and insights to promote the industrial application of lacquer sap resins by employing biocompatible nanoagents developed with an understanding of the curing mechanism of natural resins and from the viewpoint of green and sustainable chemistry perspective.