Unearthing a Lost Art: The Discovery of Chu Lacquerware

Over the past decade, archaeological excavations have revolutionized our understanding of ancient Chinese craftsmanship, particularly in five key areas: metalwork, ceramics, lacquerware, silk, and jade carving. Among these, the polychrome paintings on Warring States period (475–221 BCE) lacquerware stand out as a revelation. These artifacts do not merely showcase artistic techniques—they illuminate the profound connection between material culture and the evolving social history of their time.

The Beijing Rongbaozhai Studio recently pioneered a groundbreaking project: reproducing ten Chu lacquerware patterns through multi-color woodblock printing. Displayed alongside contemporary woodcuts at a national art exhibition, these reproductions drew universal admiration. Audiences marveled equally at the 2,300-year-old Chu artisans’ virtuosity and the modern printers’ technical mastery. Selected from exhibitions like “Chu Cultural Relics” and “National Archaeological Finds,” these prints represent China’s first systematic attempt to recreate ancient lacquer motifs through color woodblock techniques—a cultural preservation effort only possible under a government committed to safeguarding heritage.

Three Archaeological Milestones: Tracing Chu Lacquerware’s Origins

Three sites have proven pivotal for Chu lacquerware discoveries:

1. Shou County, Anhui (1933): The plundering of the Chu king’s tomb at “Li San Gudui” yielded nearly a thousand bronze artifacts and—almost overlooked—a fragment of painted lacquer coffin bearing cloud patterns. Archaeologist Li Jingdeng later spotted this fragment near a farmer’s pigsty, recognizing its significance. The dynamic, unrestrained designs offered the first glimpse into Warring States pictorial art, though most scholars initially dismissed it as less valuable than inscribed bronzes.

2. Changsha, Hunan (Late 1930s): During the Anti-Japanese War, scholars like Shang Chengzuo and Chen Mengjia drew attention to lacquer cups and tables from Chu tombs. Tragically, many pieces were lost to private collections or smuggled abroad by foreign collectors, leaving postwar scholars largely unaware of their academic value.

3. Xinyang, Henan (Post-1949): Systematic archaeological work under China’s new cultural heritage policies revealed the full splendor of Chu craftsmanship. The 1953 “Chu Cultural Relics” exhibition in Beijing stunned visitors with its display of bronze mirrors, inlaid coffins, crossbows, and—most strikingly—vibrant lacquerware that mirrored the poetic imagination of Qu Yuan.

The Four Techniques of Chu Lacquer Artistry

Chu artisans mastered four distinct decorative methods:

1. Polychrome Painting: Seen on ceremonial shields and cosmetic boxes featuring human figures.
2. Monochrome Designs: Red-and-black motifs adorning wine vessels (羽觞) and round trays.
3. Needle-Engraving: Delicate incised patterns on plain lacquer cosmetic cases.
4. Relief Carving with Lacquer Overlay: Used for sword scabbards and other prestige items.

Unlike the rigid symmetry of Shang-Zhou bronzes, Chu designs embraced fluidity. A single wine cup might feature swirling dragon-phoenix motifs that create visual rhythm, while hunting scenes on cosmetic boxes paralleled contemporary gold-inlaid bronzes, revealing cross-regional artistic exchange.

Cultural Legacy: From Warring States to Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) inherited and expanded Chu techniques. Government workshops in Chang’an and Luoyang mass-produced luxury lacquerware, while regional centers like Guanghan specialized in “gold-painted wares” with gilt-bronze fittings. Han designs incorporated:

– Confucian Themes: Filial piety scenes reflecting state ideology.
– Hunting Motifs: Celebrating aristocratic pastimes.
– Daoist Imagery: Cloud patterns inhabited by immortals and the Queen Mother of the West (西王母), whose iconography helps date early Daoist texts.

Remarkably, lacquerware even preserves traces of early Chinese gymnastics. The animal poses in “Five Animals Exercises” (五禽戏)—a health regimen described in Hua Tuo’s medical texts—mirror the dynamic postures of bears and deer in Han lacquer designs, suggesting these artworks documented contemporary physical practices.

Conclusion: Lacquerware as Historical Text

These artifacts transcend mere aesthetic value. They rewrite history: correcting misinterpretations in classical texts (like the true meaning of “axe-pattern” embroidery), revealing cross-craft influences (between lacquer and metalwork), and even hinting at pre-Silk Road cultural exchanges. As archaeologist Shen Congwen noted, studying such objects allows us to replace “speculation” with “concrete understanding”—transforming lacquer fragments into vibrant chapters of China’s material culture story.

The next frontier? Integrating these physical remnants with textual records through Marxist historical analysis, filling gaps in our knowledge one rediscovered pattern at a time. For just as Chu lacquerware shattered perceptions of Warring States art, future finds may yet revolutionize our understanding of ancient China’s interconnected cultural landscape.