Altfield Gallery is proud to showcase a collection of exquisite antique Chinese lacquer furniture in the October exhibition. Lacquer has been produced since prehistoric times in China. It is made from the sap of trees and has been used to protect and decorate various objects. Resistant to water, acids, and heat, lacquer was applied on furniture as a sealant and wood protector. Mineral pigments, cinnabar and iron oxide were often added to make red and black lacquer. The process of crafting lacquer on furniture involved many painstaking steps and it's an art form in itself. The lacquer surface also provided an ideal background for artists' expressions with painting, inlays and carving. Featured in the exhibition are a pair of rare black lacquer compound cabinets with vibrant floral painting in polychrome lacquer, charming lacquer cabinets with gilt painting from Shanxi and Zhejiang, as well as an embellished red lacquer cabinet, a good example of lacquer pieces from Shanxi which was the inspiration for the "Chinoiserie" style.
We invite you to visit our Gallery and the Annex showroom to appreciate the art of lacquer furniture, the esthetics and utilitarian qualities of which work wonderfully in today's interior décor.
These antique furniture pieces with their elegant and true-to-the-form Ming proportions were cherished by the most discerning literati and nobles in the past. They are still fit for the fine furniture connoisseurs of today and, above all, work wonderfully in today's interior décor.