What are the characteristics of lacquerware in Ming Dynasty?

Judging from the architecture and indoor appliances of the Ming Dynasty, the decoration and appliances of the palace are no less than a large-scale painted art museum. In the Ming dynasty, there were decorations in etiquette. The decoration of court buildings, the golden nails of Zhumen, the painted colors of Jinlong, the gold lacquer decoration of the throne and the enclosure in the main hall all show the level of painting technology.

At the same time, folk bedding is carved with gold, shop plaques are resplendent, coffins are painted black and decorated with gold. Temples all over the country are also inseparable from beautifully decorated painted plaques, all of which show the popularity of painting techniques in the Ming Dynasty. The application of raw lacquer is extensive, and the production of lacquerware is unprecedented. The rise of lacquerware in Ming Dynasty is directly related to the admiration and attention of the royal family in Ming Dynasty. In order to meet the demand for raw lacquer crafts inside and outside the court, a government-run royal lacquer production organization was also established.

There are "painters" under the official supervision in the court, and all the "painters" under the royal supervision are engaged in the work of painters, responsible for screen, decoration, manufacturing and filling, carving, mother-of-pearl and other lacquerware. Neifu supply warehouse also has a special T-warehouse, which often stores raw lacquer, tung oil and other things.

Judy, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, had a special liking for lacquer carving. He not only enjoyed it himself, but also presented it to Japanese princesses as precious gifts several times, totaling nearly 100 beautifully carved lacquer trays and boxes.

Due to the development of lacquer handicraft industry, the amount of lacquer used in Ming Dynasty was unprecedented, and the demand for raw lacquer increased sharply. The government and people attach great importance to the management of lacquer forest. In the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which was originally rich in lacquerware, the output of lacquerware increased greatly. In Nanjing in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, a new lacquer garden has also been built and thousands of lacquer trees have been planted to meet the demand.

According to the book Integration of Ancient and Modern Books and Fujian Xintongzhi, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, sumac trees grew in western Yunnan, eastern Liaoning, southern Hainan Island and northern Liaoning.

The varieties of lacquerware in Ming Dynasty have made great progress on the basis of the development of lacquerware in Song and Yuan Dynasties. Carved lacquer was the most developed and produced lacquer in the Ming Dynasty, followed by golden lacquer, gold lacquer, gold lacquer, filling lacquer, mother-of-pearl lacquer, inlaid lacquer and money lacquer.

Lacquerware in the early Ming Dynasty refers to lacquerware made in Hongwu, Yongle and Xuande dynasties. The lacquerware in Zhu Tan's tomb of Huang Luwang in Zou County, Shandong Province reflects the production level of lacquerware in the early Ming Dynasty. Zhu Tan is the son of Zhu Yuanzhang, and this batch of lacquerware is most likely made by the Royal Imperial Guard.

There were at least two kinds of lacquerware in the early Ming Dynasty: gold-plated lacquerware and carved lacquerware. The main decorative patterns are people's stories, precious flowers, peacock gardenia, peacock sunflower, pale pomegranate flower, peony flower, pomegranate flower, pheasant sunflower, parrot longevity flower, tit camellia, bamboo plum, vanilla, four seasons flower, palindrome and so on.

Zhongjing Medical Map, a drum box inlaid with mother-of-pearl in black paint, is a masterpiece of black paint inlaid with mother-of-pearl in Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Box drum type, flat cover, full circle. The whole body is covered with black paint and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

The cover is covered with pine and covered with auspicious clouds. Zhang Zhongjing, the medical sage, came in an ox cart in official clothes. Four people bowed to meet, and the shepherd boy looked at the cow. The box cover and the box wall are inlaid with a chest nail pattern, and the upper and lower edges are decorated with lotus patterns. The box is painted red and the anklet is painted black. This box of cymbals is colorful, colorful, with exquisite and vivid characters and exquisite craftsmanship.

In the Ming Dynasty, most of the lacquerware in Yongle is red, but there are also a few gold-plated lacquers and gold-plated lacquers, such as gold eight treasures red lacquers.

Yongle carved lacquer is mainly composed of plates and boxes, including bowls, lamp holders, statues, vials and pedals. The shape has not changed much. Ming Yongle lacquer plate is a kind of disk, shallow and full circle, and the disk surface is a whole. There is no difference between the center and the edge of the dish, and the pattern gives people a sense of integrity. This dish is mainly decorated with flowers.

The other plate is in the shape of sunflower petals or diamonds, with 8 petals and 10 petals. The decorative content in the dish is different from that in the dish. The dishes are mostly landscape figures, while the dishes are mostly carved by various flowers.

For example, the square plate of black landscape figures, with a diameter of 26.6 cm and 26.2 cm, is carved with broken flowers on all sides and figures in the middle, which is natural in shape; The stone carving method is exquisite, the structure is rigorous, the color is bright, and the knife method is sharp and slender.

Yongle carved lacquer decorative patterns are mainly flowers, landscapes and figures, and the pattern processing is standardized. Flower-themed works are generally carved on disks, sugar cane boxes and steamed cake boxes.

The pattern processing method is to spread large blooming flowers on the surface of the plate or box, with lush foliage around it, or to set off small buds in bud, so that the flowers are full and the picture has a perfect sense of integrity.

Flowers are arranged in odd numbers, including 3, 5 and 7. If three flowers are evenly distributed, five flowers and seven flowers, with the larger flower in the center and four or six smaller flowers evenly arranged around, just like holding the moon in the stars, highlighting the theme. Carved lacquer with flowers as the theme is generally not carved under flowers, but with yellow paint as the bottom and yellow lining red, which is different and eye-catching.

Yongle carved lacquer, full of flowers, leaving a small yellow land with a sense of compactness. The flowers commonly used in Yongle lacquer carving in Ming Dynasty are peony, camellia, pomegranate, hibiscus, chrysanthemum and lotus.

There were also lacquerware works with double flowers in Yongle, that is, two layers of flowers were carved on the lacquer plate, such as the double-layer plate for picking red peony and the double-layer plate for picking red camellia. The patterns of the upper and lower layers are self-contained, which do not interfere with each other and set off each other. They are well organized, rich in pictures and thought-provoking, which fully embodies the superb skills of Yongle craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty.

Works with the theme of scenery and people are usually carved on sunflower petal trays and sugarcane festival boxes. The processing technique of the pattern is to carve the story of the character on the plate or box surface, and the pattern sets off three kinds of tapestries representing heaven, earth and water respectively.

These three brocade patterns are the same as those in the Yuan Dynasty, but the treatment of water patterns has changed slightly. In the Yuan Dynasty, some water patterns in Qi Diao rolled like waves, which were represented by curves, as if water were constantly flowing, while the water patterns in Yongle period were basically fixed as patterns and represented by tortuous lines.

Carve figures and pavilions on three kinds of brocade. The general layout is to carve a pavilion on the left or right side of the pattern and enclose a certain space with curved columns. The pavilion is placed behind Gu Song or weeping willows. Clouds are dotted in the sky, and people move in it.

Or visit friends with the piano, or enjoy the waterfalls, or chat, or get together with five old people. Most of them reflect the quiet and leisurely life of literati. The proportion of figures in sculpture is often high to highlight the importance of figures.

For example, the lotus petal-shaped plate has a red picture on it, which shows visiting friends with a piano. The plate is 4.5 cm high and 45.6 cm in diameter. The plate is flat, with eight lotus-shaped sides and a round foot. In the middle of the plate, there is a courtyard scene carved, the pavilion is curved, and the clouds are long and scattered. Two old people in the courtyard greet each other, one child carries the piano, and then someone in the temple greets. This is a picture of visiting friends at the piano.

The inside and outside walls of the dish are painted yellow, and various flowers are carved piece by piece. The foot paint is yellow and brown, with the words "Yongle Year System in Ming Dynasty" engraved on one side and the words "Fragrant Room" engraved on the center.

This dish looks like a big blooming flower, beautiful and elegant. The theme pattern reflected the life interest of the literati at that time. This dish is a typical work carved by officials in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty, with heavy painting, fine carving and clear brocade pattern.

Besides carved flowers, landscapes and figures, there are also peacock peony, cloud dragon pattern, cloud phoenix pattern and ganoderma lucidum pattern in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty.

For example, a diamond-shaped dish with red flowers for birthday is 34.8 cm in diameter, 27 cm in foot diameter and 43 cm in height. Wood, diamond-shaped eight petals, round and full, with red paint pattern carved on the back waist. The center of the dish is round, and pines, peaches, cranes, deer and immortals celebrate their birthdays. The decorative patterns inside and outside the wall are the same, and two precious flowers are carved on each petal. The foot border is decorated with stripes on the back, and the bottom is painted black.

The bottom of Yongle carved lacquer is generally yellow-brown and black. At the inner edge of the bottom, the strokes are vertically engraved with "Yongle Year System in Ming Dynasty". The font is delicate and the strokes are slender, like running script. There is a clear year number at the bottom of the lacquer carving, which began in Yongle in the Ming Dynasty.

Yongle carved lacquer has distinct characteristics of the times in production technology and techniques. At this time, the painting level of the works is generally thick, ranging from tens to hundreds, which is obviously different from the "painting Zhu 36 times is enough" recorded in the literature. Inheriting the style of Rizo and Yang Mao in Yuan Dynasty, it is exquisitely carved, with clear hidden front, smooth hidden potential and fine details.

For example, the veins of patterned branches and leaves are clear and vivid, and the front and back of branches and leaves are expressed by different carving techniques. The flower rib texture is carefully treated, the carving method is skillful and smooth, and the edge of the pattern is round and smooth, without exposing the knife edge and knife marks.

Such as black flower-and-bird sunflower disc, with a diameter of 3 1.3 cm, a foot diameter of 22.6 cm and a height of 3.8 cm, with a sunflower mouth and a round foot. Double magpies and peonies are carved on the disc, and vanilla patterns are carved on the back of the wall. This dish is exquisitely carved, with concave-convex patterns and clear lines, which is an excellent Qi Diao craft in the early Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Xuande of the Ming Dynasty reigned 10, and the varieties of Xuande lacquerware were red and gold-plated. Ming Xuande carved lacquer, including round, square, lotus leaf, diamond-shaped plate, sugarcane segment, steamed cake, square box with two corners and lamp holder.

Its decorative themes are basically the same as those in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty, including flowers, Yunlong, Yun Chi, landscapes and figures. The technique of "opening the light" appeared in pattern processing. Lotus petals, sunflower petals and circles are used as the opening lights on the box cover or in the tray, and one pattern is decorated on the inside of the opening and another pattern is decorated on the outside of the opening.

On the one hand, lighting can highlight the theme, on the other hand, it can separate two different decorative patterns, and at the same time, it can also play an artistic effect of beautifying the picture. This method is often used for the patterns of lacquerware in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

For example, Xuande's round box with red chrysanthemum pattern, with a diameter of 12.2 cm, is round and painted with red paint. The cover is engraved with a cluster of nine chrysanthemums, which are in full bloom and lush foliage. Flowers such as chrysanthemum, peony and okra are carved on the outer wall, and dark brown paint is painted on the inside and bottom of the box. The left edge of the foot is engraved with gold, engraved with the regular script of "Ming Xuande Year". The round box is deeply painted, the carving is round, the knife is smooth and well preserved. It is a fine red collector in Ming Dynasty, which is extremely precious.

The treatment of lacquerware in Xuande of Ming Dynasty was completely different from that in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty. Instead, Ming Xuande's regular script is inlaid with gold, and the left side of the bottom is vertically engraved with "Ming Xuande Year System". A few carved money on the cover. The knife carving and gold filling of Xuande in Ming Dynasty became a model of lacquerware treatment in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

After Xuande, Ming lacquerware began to change from simple, simple and generous style to exquisite and delicate. The varieties of lacquerware in this period include red, black, color and gold-plated lacquer. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, lacquerware made in Yunnan and Gansu was more prominent.

Compared with the monotonous and unified features in the early period, the shapes of works in this period have obviously changed, such as plum vase, square box, octagonal box, suitcase, pen container, square box, square plate, large rectangular box, rectangular box, flat pot, Gao Zuwan, chess box and so on. This shows that lacquerware is more and more widely used, and its practicality and appreciation have been perfectly combined.

The decorative patterns of lacquerware in the middle of Ming Dynasty were more colorful. In terms of flower-themed works, compared with the overall large-scale flower-themed decorative patterns in the Orchard Factory in the early Ming Dynasty, there are fewer and fewer decorative patterns, and they are replaced by flowers with broken branches and flowers and birds, such as Yuanyang Lotus, Magpie Deng Mei, Ribbon Peony, Camellia Bird and Luyan.

For example, Xuande's double painted lacquer box, which is 20 cm high and 44 cm in diameter, is the earliest lacquer ware. The box is round, the top is flat and the circle is short. The paint color is: red, yellow, green, red, black, yellow, green, black, yellow, red, yellow, green, red *** 13 layer from bottom to top.

The lid of the box is round, and the red Qi Diao is used as an oblique square brocade pattern. Carved on it is a forest tree, two orioles, one in front of the branch, with his head sideways, and the other under the branch, turning and lying down, echoing each other. There are flowers and fruits on the branches of the forest tree, and another dragonfly and butterfly are carved to decorate it. A circle outside the box cover near the bottom of the box is carved with flowers and fruits, consisting of pomegranate, grape and cherry.

Peony, camellia, gardenia, chrysanthemum and other flowers are engraved on the vertical wall of the box cover and container. There is no brocade pattern around the flowers and fruits, with yellow paint as the bottom, and the strip directly above the cover is cut with a knife and filled with gold regular script. This device is very big and solemn; Rich in color, gorgeous; The pattern is lively and full of energy, as if it is ready to go.

The works with characters as the theme are not limited to the early themes of visiting friends, playing the piano and watching waterfalls, but mainly historical stories. For example, five old customs clearance, herding cattle, cultural meeting, visiting virtuous people in Weishui, friends' autumn outing, fisherman's music, herb picking, Tengwang Pavilion, bird screen selection, Guo Ziyi story, Yueyang Tower, Eight Immortals, doll play and so on.

In the mid-Ming Dynasty, some lacquerware carving styles maintained the characteristics of early polishing and clear hidden front, while others showed the characteristics of not rounded front. This shows the style changes of the works in the transitional period.

At this time, the carved lacquer is generally not thick, which is slightly different from the early thick lacquer and good three-dimensional effect. On the other hand, both flowers and people's stories are engraved with brocade patterns, and the early practice of embossing on yellow paint almost disappeared, thus forming a icing on the cake effect.

Yunnan was also an important area for making lacquerware in the middle of Ming Dynasty. Yunnan lacquerware is generally thin, dark and dull, with compact composition and complex feeling. Its shapes are flat round box, disc, flat pot with two ears, Gao Zuwan, chess box, bowl, etc.

Yunnan lacquerware carving patterns are eclectic, rich and colorful, with strong local characteristics. The design is dotted with lifelike mantis, bee, swimming fish, grasshopper, snake, frog and other small creatures, as well as panchang and Ganoderma lucidum symbolizing longevity, peacock peony symbolizing happiness, lively and lovely double lion ball, legendary Kirin, pterosaur, double poisonous snake, grass-tailed dragon and so on. These patterns have obvious local characteristics.

After more than 80 years' development in the middle of Ming Dynasty, a new situation appeared in lacquer craft during the Jiajing period of Sejong in Ming Dynasty. This is that the government-run workshops continue to make a large number of lacquerware, and the palace-style lacquerware production has regained its dominant position.

After nearly a hundred years of changes, the style of lacquerware in the mid-Ming Dynasty changed from simple, elegant, mellow and exquisite in the early days to a new style advocating exquisiteness, luxury and exquisiteness. The use of lacquerware has expanded, and new lacquerware shapes such as boxes, cabinets and tables have appeared; The variety of lacquerware has increased, and besides red color removal, a large number of golden lacquerware has also been produced, and the development of lacquer art has entered a new era.

The varieties of lacquerware in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty mainly include red, color and gold. Ming Jiajing lacquerware handed down from generation to generation is still dominated by red robes. During this period, a large number of works with green lacquer as brocade and red lacquer as carving appeared. Red and green are eye-catching and have a strong contrast, which plays a prominent role in the theme.

There are basically two styles of lacquer carving in Jiajing period: one is exquisite carving, fast and sharp cutting, and although the front edge is exposed, it still maintains the characteristics of round and smooth lacquer in the early Ming Dynasty; The other is that the carver is not refined, has a rough feeling, the paint color is not good, and he is not good at hiding the front. Although polished, it is not round.

After the emergence of color picking in Xuande period of Ming Dynasty, it developed on a large scale in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, and there were many handed down products. Jiajing's color selection is mainly red, yellow and green, and each color has a considerable paint layer.

The surface of the object is red, yellow and green, usually red flowers and green leaves. For example, Ssangyong pays dividends in yellow, red paint is used as a dragon fin, yellow is used as a dragon body, and green is used as a dragon hair, which looks like a silhouette effect; For example, the phoenix pattern is red, yellow and green to show its flying wings and long tail, and the three colors change into beautiful feathers and colorful; If it is a boy, the clothes and trousers are decorated with red and green, showing the innocence and liveliness of the child.

During Jiajing period, the patterns of decoloured gold lacquer were silver ingots, plum blossoms, chrysanthemum petals, Fang Sheng, etc., and the production process was exquisite. The outline and vein texture with gold as the pattern are filled with red, yellow and green pigments, and the decorative pattern has a picturesque effect after polishing.

There is a kind of gold-plated paint, which is first filled with pigments to make brocade patterns, and then gilded with gold patterns. This method is labor-consuming and time-consuming, but it makes the utensils icing on the cake. There is also a special kind of gold-plated painted work, which is neither a monochrome painted floor nor a brocade floor, but a dense circular pattern called "Save the Rhino".

During Jiajing period, there was a breakthrough in the modeling of utensils, and many new modeling appeared. In addition to the disc, there are sunflower disc in the early Ming Dynasty and angular Fiona Fang disc in the middle Ming Dynasty. At the same time, there are six-petal disc, plum blossom disc, silver ingot disc, purple ru disc, lotus leaf disc, chrysanthemum petal disc and a set of discs nested by three discs in turn.

At this time, in addition to the "sugarcane section" in the early Ming Dynasty and the "holding box" in the middle Ming Dynasty, there are new bowl boxes, longevity boxes, silver ingot boxes, Fang Sheng boxes and plum blossom boxes. In addition, some new shapes have appeared, such as melon pot, cabinet, pen container, small table, octagonal bucket, spring box, handle, mirror and so on.

In the Ming Dynasty, Yongle, Xuande, Jiajing and Wanli carved the most lacquerware, and Qin Long and Chongzhen also had a few inscriptions. The style of Ming Jiajing lacquerware is carved with gold regular script, and the position of the style is in the middle of the bottom. There are three forms of "Daming Jiajing Year System", namely, vertical engraving in the middle of the bottom, horizontal engraving from right to left, and two rows of vertical engraving.

Because Emperor Jiajing believed in Taoism, the decorative themes of lacquerware in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty were mostly immortals, immortals and longevity, such as the birthday pictures of five old people, immortals and pavilions in Xianshan.

In particular, patterns composed of words appeared. For example, pine, bamboo and plum are interwoven into the words "Fu, Lu and Shou"; The word "Fu" is used for the decoration of the lacquer plate; Carve a word on each of the three peaches to form "Fu, Lu and Shou"; In the form of lighting, the words "Emperor's picture is hundreds of millions of years, long life", "Gan Kun Qing Tai, long life and wonderful life", "eternal life", "eternal happiness" and "eternal life" are combined on the objects.

Shouchun picture is a typical decorative theme in this period. There are two kinds of boxes with spring characters: red and colored. There is a cornucopia engraved on the cover. The bowl is filled with intestines, coral branches, silver ingots, ancient coins, rhinoceros horns and fire beads. Thousands of rays of sunshine rise in the bowl, which looks like a raging flame. The word "spring" is pressed above the flame, and a birthday girl is engraved at the round mouth of the word.

For example, Jiajing Zhang Wu's birthday picture is a round box with a height of 12 cm and a diameter of 24.4 cm. This box is round and has a flat cover. The whole body is carved with green paint, with moire and Qi Diao patterns.

The cover is decorated with pine cloud rocks, and the five immortals hold peaches, Hua Gun, gourds, scrolls and Ganoderma lucidum respectively. A wisp of light smoke rises from Ganoderma lucidum, winding into the cursive word "longevity" to celebrate the fairy's birthday. The lid and the outer wall of the container are carved with Yunlong pattern and sea water moire pattern respectively. In the middle of the foot, the knife is engraved with six characters of the vertical line of "Daming Jiajing Year System" in gold regular script.

This box is exquisitely carved, with quick knife cutting, exposed front edge, vivid characters' expressions, smooth clothing patterns and delicate artistic style. It is the representative work of Qi Diao in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty.

In addition, pine trees, cranes, ganoderma lucidum and peaches symbolizing longevity are often used as decorative themes, and gossip, Kirin, lions, seahorses, elephants and miscellaneous treasures are also part of the decorative themes.

Different from the above-mentioned theme of immortality, there are also a few folk art styles, such as dragon boat race, peddler map, baby play map and so on. Dragon pattern is still the main theme of lacquer decoration in this period.

During the Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, the brocade patterns of lacquerware also changed greatly, breaking through the three brocade patterns in the early Ming Dynasty, and "Wanzi Brocade" and "Gouyun Brocade" appeared. Some carved five or six kinds of brocade patterns, and the proportion of brocade patterns was large, forming a style.

During the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, lacquerware production became more active, official lacquerware workshops still dominated, and lacquerware varieties became increasingly rich. In addition to lacquerware with red, color and gold plating, new lacquerware varieties such as yellow removal, gold tracing and paint filling have appeared, making lacquerware decoration more colorful.

Ming Wanli carved lacquer has red, colorful and Huang San varieties, which have formed different styles and characteristics from other periods in terms of modeling, patterns and styles. In the modeling of utensils, plates and boxes are still the main ones, and there are also small cabinets, stoves, flower beds, bottles, pen containers and so on. And a new modeling of rectangular corner box appeared.

In terms of decorative patterns, the theme of pursuing immortality in Jiajing period disappeared and was replaced by the theme of Shuanglong, Longfeng, Xiangyun and Haiyang, with auspicious patterns praying for good luck and peace. There are also some themes that show people and flowers and birds, such as the painted boards of Chu and Hua Niaowen boxes made by Yan Zi.

The treatment of brocade patterns is also very unique, with compact proportion, fine and neat, which was not available before and after the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.

On the variety of lacquerware, red and color are the most, and there are also a few yellow works. Gold tracing is a lacquer craft.

Gold painting is a method of "gold painting" and "color painting", which makes a device have two painting processes, and the picture is rich in color and rich in decorative interest. The gold lacquer works in Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, including round boxes and rectangular ink bottles, were all painted with red lacquer. The large round box of gold-painted landscape figures is his masterpiece.

In the late Ming dynasty, the production of carved lacquer was mainly made by the court, and there were also products among the people. In the late Ming Dynasty, rectangular boxes, Gao Zuwan and small bowls were the main types of Qi Diao. At the end of Ming Dynasty, lacquerware except rhinoceros had black surface and ink surface, and the lacquerware was shaped as small round box, double-layer box, disc, flower-shaped disc, lamp holder, holding pot and so on.

The mother-of-pearl inlay technology in the Ming Dynasty is still in use. Jiang was a native of Yangzhou in the late Ming Dynasty and was famous for making mother-of-pearl lacquerware. At that time, there was a saying that "every family has cups and plates."