All lacquer items share several features and are made by a similar process. No item is completely made of lacquer - it is a sort of coating, like varnish or paint. The process of making lacquer ware is complex and involves many steps, all requiring a high level of craftsmanship and skill. The famous lacquer was produced in Yangzhou in Jiangsu province.
One of most beautiful aspects of Yangzhou lacquer ware are the elegant carved patterns that cover many objects. The most luxurious and precious of these are made by actually carving through hundreds of layers of lacquer. Most Yangzhou lacquer comes in two colors - red and black. One specialty of Yangzhou lacquer is to use flat black lacquer as a base and then create inlay pictures, landscapes or patterns in mother of pearl. The shimmering inky black lacquer and the iridescent colors of mother of pearl complement each other beautifully.
