eLibrary: Lacquer Across East Asia

This exhibition follows the evolution of lacquerware across China, Japan, and Korea, showing how a shared material gave rise to three distinct artistic traditions. The works cited here provide the historical and technical context needed to understand that development in greater depth.

This is the latest version of an electronic library of resources supporting the exhibition. It offers free and immediate access to online resources for anyone wanting to explore further the context of the museum’s artifacts.  As the museum develops, more resources, in more languages, will be added.

NOTE: Some of these links come from Academia.edu and Researchgate.net. These require a free one-time registration. To research further yourselves, you may consider registering with Jstore.org which gives limited but free monthly access to its collections

Articles

Ding, Y. and Li, M., A Study on the Characteristics of the Technology of Carved Lacquerware in the Past Dynasties of China.

DongYu, R., Bin Harun, A. and YiXuan, L., 2024. The Light of Chinese Lacquerware-Dynastic Contribution and Exploration of Cultural Connotation. Online Journal of Art & Design, 12(4).

Hyunseob, Y.O.O.N., 2023. The application of traditional korean paint and lacquer to past wood and modern works. Pro Ligno, 19(4).

Kopplin, M. ed., 2002. Lacquerware in Asia, today and yesterday 

Matsumoto, N., 2018. Japan: the earliest evidence of complex technology for creating durable coloured goods. Open Archaeology, 4(1), pp.206-216.

Papist-Matsuo, A., Iconography of Absence: Negoro Lacquers and the Sacred Geography of Their Origin. 立命館言語文化研究, 28(4), p.1.

Rausch, A., 2006. Meaning and Representation of Traditional Craft: The Case for a Local Japanese Lacquerware. Japan Studies Review, 10, pp.31-57.

Richter, M., 2005. Three Polychrome Japanese Buddhist Sculptures from the Kamakura Period: The Scientific Examination of Layer Structures, Ground Materials, Pigments, Metal Leafs, and Powders. In Scientific Research on the Pictorial Arts of Asia–Proceedings of the Second Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art (pp. 21-34). London, UK: Archetype Publications Ltd..

Sadamu, K., 2008. Korean Najeonchilgi of the Goryeo and early Joseon periods. Journal of Korean Art & Archaeology, 2, pp.66-89.

Sook, C.Y., 2001. Goryeo Dynasty Lacquerware with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay.

Xie, Y., 2024. Matters and Makers to Embellish: Lobed Ornamentation in Silver, Ceramics and Lacquer in Northern Song China (960–1127) (Master's thesis, McGill University (Canada)).