In Vietnam, the process of producing fine art through the
lacquering technique has its origins in neighbouring China, who ruled over the
country between 111 BC and 938 AD.
Lacquerware is a truly ancient art, which first appeared
in the Shang dynasty (1384-1111 BC) and has evolved ever since into a
sophisticated art form, and it was during the golden age of the Han dynasty, that this art
form penetrated into Vietnamese culture.
With pieces taking many months to produce, the technique
involves the gradual accumulation of successive layers of coloured lacquer and
silver leaf, which are later smoothed away using a variety of methods to
various depths to reveal the final image.
As with so much other Chinese endeavour, the art form
reached its pinnacle during the Ming dynasty, when up to a hundred painstaking
layers were employed to produce ultra-bright lustrous images on furniture and
other domestic artefacts, the finest of which now command eye-watering prices
on the international antiques market.
In Vietnam, the art form took a unique turn under during
the French occupation, when the influence of beautiful modern works from the impressionists
onwards began to capture the imaginations of young Viet artists, and led to a
renaissance of the lacquer medium to create their own modern art began in the
1930’s. Nowadays, many of its finest exponents in the modern age have themselves
generated much enthusiastic interest on the global art market.
Although the techniques are applied to many types of
object, for paintings, a Vietnamese artist will typically start from a board,
which is initially primed with a foundation layer of clear lacquer and left to
dry. The lacquer is produced from the sap of several different trees, harvested
in the same manner as rubber.
Once dry, a layer of thin cotton, soaked with clay is
applied all around the board and a layer of black lacquer applied, dried and
highly polished, a process repeated five times to create a smooth durable seal
that will last for centuries and provide the base layer for the subsequent
painting.
The artist will typically begin his work with chalk,
outlining his vision upon the primed black board, which is then refined though
shallow carving before being filled with minute pieces of eggshell, before
being once again smoothed to a fine surface, after which a layer of clear
lacquer is applied and smoothed.
Over time, successive layers of coloured lacquer, silver
leaf and clear lacquer are laid down with each dried and carefully smoothed, a
process repeated with as many shades of colour as the artist requires for his
artistic vision.
When all the desired coloured layers have been applied,
the artist begins the amazingly delicate and skilfully precise process of
revealing his carefully remembered image and layers through finely rubbing with
sandpaper and an abrasive blend of charcoal and human hair to various depths
all over the work to reveal the different colours
underneath, with the silver leaf behind each revealed coloured layer producing
a stunning lustrous quality to the whole image.
Beyond this basic and painstaking method of producing
lacquerware, many contemporary artists employ the use of many other substances
and techniques to produce infinitely subtle effects and extraordinary depth
within their creations, many of which are known only to the artists themselves
and are a carefully guarded secret, though the use of gold leaf on the final
layer to create a visually distinctive light effect is a commonly known technique.
Today, many delightful lacquer paintings, contemporary
homewares and furniture are produced in Vietnam, and the sheer artistic quality
of many of these pieces are a marvel to behold, especially when one has the
insight into the long and painstaking work involved in their creation.
Many galleries and other artistic retail outlets contain
fine examples of Vietnamese lacquerware, themed on both traditional elements drawn from ancient Vietnamese culture and stunningly creative, beautifully
conceived and dizzyingly reflective brightly hued contemporary pieces.