By the twelfth century, artisans working in southern China began to use smaller and thinner pieces of mother-of-pearl to create sumptuous painted scenes of flora and fauna, and figures in landscapes. Works using both materials dating from as early as the eighth century have also been found in Korea, Japan, and Thailand. The combination of lacquer and mother-of-pearl can be traced to some of China's earliest cultures. Additional steps are needed to inlay the mother-of-pearl into a lacquer base. Harvesting mother-of-pearl requires, at a minimum, the boiling and cutting of the shell and the careful trimming and polishing of pieces into desired shapes. The term "mother-of-pearl" has been used since at least the sixteenth century to describe the lustrous material in the interior of mollusks, such as the sea-ear, nautilus, and green snail, found in warm waters, both fresh and marine, in many parts of the world.
It is resistant to water and certain acids and can withstand heat, making it an ideal protective covering. When exposed to oxygen and humidity (about 70 or 80 degrees Fahrenheit), lacquer hardens, or polymerizes, becoming a natural plastic. When tapped from the tree, it is white or light gray in color and has a consistency similar to that of molasses. Lacquer-an English word derived from the Portuguese word lacré (sealing wax)-refers to the resin of a family of trees ( rhus verniciflua) widely found in southern China, Korea and Japan, and mainland Southeast Asia. Others illustrate themes important in the history and literature of their respective cultures. Some were used to hold religious texts or papers and other supplies associated with the art of writing.
Many of the objects have ritual or cultural significance. They range in size from small boxes used for incense or cosmetics to large screens that divided and decorated interiors. Produced in places as diverse as China, Korea, Japan, India, and Thailand, and ranging in date from the eighth to the nineteenth century, the objects in this exhibition illustrate the technical and thematic development found in works of art made using a combination of lacquer and mother-of-pearl.
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