Lacquer Black
Raw lacquer solidified, the ultimate subtle profundity with restrained luster
#0A0A0Argb(10, 10, 10)hsl(0, 0%, 4%)hsv(0, 0%, 4%)cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 96%)#0A0A0AFFrgba(10, 10, 10, 1)hsla(0, 0%, 4%, 1)oklch(34%, 0, 90)lch(23.4%, 3.5, 214)🎨 Color Palettes
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💡 Use Cases
Lacquer Art Appreciation
In traditional arts and crafts like bodiless lacquerware and carved lacquer ornaments, Lacquer Black is the most superior base color, setting off luxurious gold, silver, and vermilion patterns, showcasing Eastern opulence.
Banquet Ware
In Japanese kaiseki cuisine and Chinese state banquets, black lacquer tableware is regarded as the highest courtesy for guests. Food served on Lacquer Black vessels provides a strong color contrast, enhancing the dining experience.
Tranquil Spaces
Top-tier design hotels or private residences treat walls or ceilings with Lacquer Black, paired with warm light sources, creating an enveloping sense of depth like the cosmos, allowing one to relax completely.
Masterpiece Instruments
Lacquer Black is often used for the surface coating of top-tier pianos, guqins, and shamisens. Its profound luster resonates with the instrument, giving the performance a solemn, ritualistic feel.
📜 Origin & History
The color Lacquer Black originates from China's ancient tradition of harvesting raw lacquer from trees and the craft of lacquer coating. As early as the Hemudu Culture period 7,000 years ago, ancestors had discovered the adhesive and protective properties of lacquer tree sap and created the earliest vermilion lacquer wooden bowls. Pure black lacquer was later formulated by adding iron agents or soot to the lacquer.
During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, lacquerware craftsmanship was already quite developed. Fragments of lacquerware unearthed from the Fu Hao tomb at Yinxu show that black lacquer was already used as a ground, with red lacquer depicting patterns. The glossy, light-reflecting, rot-resistant, and insect-proof properties of the black lacquer surface made it an indispensable precious coating for aristocratic daily utensils.
The Warring States period to the Han dynasty was the golden age of lacquer art, especially in the Chu region. Thousands of lacquerware items unearthed from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Hubei and the Mawangdui Han tombs in Hunan feature black lacquer grounds with red painted cloud and immortal motifs on coffins and food vessels. This showcased the splendor and mystery set off by black lacquer as a base color, establishing Lacquer Black's profound aesthetic style.
In the Tang Dynasty, lacquer art spread east to Japan, profoundly influencing later Japanese lacquer art. In China proper, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasty techniques like carved layered lacquer, carved red lacquer, and filled lacquer all relied on refined black lacquer as a foundation. The luster of black lacquer was described by literati as 'clear as a mirror, smooth as jade', making Lacquer Black synonymous with the ultimate blackness.
In modern times, craft lineages like Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware and Pingyao polished lacquerware continue to inherit the beauty of Lacquer Black. From temple ritual vessels to scholarly studio objects, Lacquer Black no longer represents merely a practical coating, but a depth and nobility accumulated over time, layer upon layer—the ultimate expression of Eastern craft aesthetics.