Opening the exhibition
The special exhibition Lacquerware of East Asia is a collaboration of the National Museum of Korea, the Tokyo National Museum of Japan, and the National Museum of China in connection with the director’s meeting of each museum. To promote friendship and appreciate each culture of these three neighboring countries, the exhibition takes place every two years with the institutions hosting in rotation. The hosting country is named first in the exhibition title followed by the next hosting country.
The theme of this fifth joint special exhibition is 'Lacquer-ware.' Lacquerware is a representative craft of Asia, where Korea, Japan, and China have each perfected it in their distinctive styles: mother-of-pearl lacquerware, maki-e lacquerware, and carved lacquerware, respectively. This exhibition brings together 46 representative pieces from the 14th to 19th centuries, showcasing the three countries' unique decorative techniques of gluing, sprinkling, and carving, as well as their original and spectacular shapes, colors, and patterns. The exquisite world of lacquerware, ‘an art of time,’ from Korea, Japan, and China is presented here for you to enjoy.
Part 1. Lacquerware of China
China was the first country in the world to create and utilize lacquerware. The earliest piece discovered in China is a lacquered wooden bow from the Neolithic period, dating back to 8,000 years in past. Over the millennia, Chinese lacquerware evolved throughout the ancient times into the Ming and Qing dynasties, producing a range of items from simple, mono-colored everyday objects to extravagantly decorated masterpieces. Lacquerware holds immense practical and artistic value. Chinese lacquerware had spread to many regions via trade routes, including the Silk Road, and played a crucial role in developing lacquer craft worldwide.