Yi Traditional Culture: Yi Lacquerware

Yi lacquerware has a long history, is the Yi ancient tableware based on the development of folk crafts, with a primitive style of simplicity, color variety, exquisite craftsmanship, peculiar composition, noble and elegant, color and luster of the soft people, has a high aesthetic and practical value, loved by people.

So, here with me from the perspective of Yi culture to see the characteristics of Yi lacquerware!

Historical Development of Yi Lacquerware

Yi Lacquerware is a folk handicraft developed on the basis of ancient Yi tableware with thousands of years of history. While preserving the primitive and simple styles, the lacquer painting and decorating crafts boldly draws on and adopts the fruits of modern science and technology, which is becoming more and more mature. Its products include traditional tableware, wine set and newly developed tea set, tourist souvenirs, modern interior decorative utensils and other series of products. "Ethnicity, handicraft, high grade" is its main feature.

Lacquerware patterns and colors

Lacquerware patterns and decorations are mostly based on the sun, moon and stars, mountains and rivers, astronomy and geography, animals and plants, myths and legends, and individual patterns. Very concerned about the symmetry of the decoration and the abstraction of the deformation. The use of points, lines and surfaces is simple and appropriate; the colors of lacquer ware are strong and bright, with strong infectious force. The use of color implies national aesthetic sense and spirituality. Black, red and yellow are commonly used. Black is the original color of heaven and earth, which means solemnity and majesty; red represents passionate, bold and courageous; and yellow symbolizes light and the future.

Main Features of Yi Lacquerware

Excellent Selection of Materials

Lacquerware is made of acid technology, camphor wood as blank tire, wild lacquer and various mineral pigments for painting, which is purely natural, non-toxic (lead-free), odorless, acid- and alkali-resistant, high-temperature resistant, non-desiccating, and durable. According to China's medical records, sour wood, camphor wood and natural lacquer have the health care effect of preventing poison, prolonging life, and Japanese scientists have long confirmed that it contains a variety of amino acids and a variety of trace elements essential to the human body.

Complex technology

Lacquer is handmade, time-consuming and labor-intensive, must be completed after nearly forty procedures, plus the earth lacquer film needs to be in a specific temperature, humidity environment is to slowly dry, the work period is long, the amount of labor. In feudal society, only the royal family and forbidden cities and dignitaries can enjoy, the value is very high.

Natural and environmentally friendly

Yi lacquerware is made of natural raw materials, which is harmless and does not pollute the environment. After drying, the lacquer will not produce allergic reaction or other toxic side effects to anyone, which is in line with the modern concept of people's taste in life and the pursuit of nature and environmental protection.