Characterization of the Materials and Techniques of a Birthday Inscribed Lacquer Plaque of the Qing Dynasty

Abstract

In this study, in order to analyze the materials and techniques used for the production of the inscribed plaques, multi-analytical scientific approach, including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-ATR-FTIR), and micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman), were used to explore the materials and techniques utilized to create the “Chun Rong Xuan Mao” birthday inscribed plaque of the Qing Dynasty. The results showed that the plaque was made of cypress wood and decorative parts consisting of the surface lacquer layers, plaster lacquer layers and primer lacquer layers. Chinese lacquer was the principal material used in the surface lacquer layers; gypsum and Chinese lacquer were the materials used in the plaster lacquer layers; and the primer lacquer layers was composed of Chinese lacquer, calcite, and mixed pigments by cinnabar and minium. The surface lacquer layers of the inscribed plaque were lacquered black. Gypsum lacquer plaster has been commonly used in the ground layer of lacquerware in modern history. This study confirmed the existence of technology to make lacquerware using gypsum lacquer plaster in the Bashu area during the late Qing Dynasty. Moreover, this study not only provides new findings regarding the traditional production of inscribed plaques and offers technical support for the protection and restoration of such plaques but also has great significance to exploring the history of ancient techniques of lacquering and decorating lacquerware.

Pigments — Mercury-based red (cinnabar-vermilion) and white (calomel) and their degradation products

“…the lacquer ash layer (9 stucco layers and 10 fibres layers; the so-called wan lacquering technique) and (c) the lacquer film pigment layer, mostly consisting of organic materials (lacquer sap from Rhus vernicifera ➔ urushiol, animal gelatin, drying oil and proteinaceous materials) and four layers of inorganic pigments: calcite, carbon black, cinnabar and gold (the so-called Jin Jiao technique, i.e., the technique applied to mix pigments and lacquer and "painting lacquer above the gold technique"). & In a birthday inscribed lacquer plaque (1866 AD), Zheng et al (2020) found a primer lacquer layer made of calcite, cinnabar, minium and Chinese lacquer, followed by a second plaster lacquer layer made of gypsum and Chinese lacquer and a third and last layer made of Chinese lacquer.…”

The lacquer crafting of Ba state: Insights from a Warring States lacquer scabbard excavated from Lijiaba site (Chongqing, southwest China)

“…Although lacquer has a long history in China (Zhai et al, 2021) and some researches have disclosed on the ancient lacquer in other areas in China (Jin et al, 2012;Wei et al, 2011;Jin et al, 2017;Hao et al, 2017;Fu et al, 2020;Zheng et al, 2020;Xiao et al, 2020), there is no specific research dedicated to the lacquer craft of marginal area (e.g., the Ba State in the southwest part of China). Furthermore, the beneficial of GCxGC/MS separation of complex additives in lacquer crafting has not yet been explored in archaeological samples except our previous work on pure modern lacquer film (Okamoto et al, 2018).…”