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Lacquerware & Painted Wood
True lacquer, shellac turnery, painted folk furniture and decorated wooden objects sit at the meeting point of woodcraft and painting. The word lacquer covers several unrelated material systems — urushi, shellac, synthetic coatings — and buyers who do not separate them end up comparing incomparable quotations. This section covers the world's lacquer traditions, folk painting schools applied to wood, gilding and gold-leaf work, and the curing time, layering and repair characteristics that decide the working life of a lacquered surface.
What goes wrong
Real lacquer and painted finish are different products at very different prices, and both are sold as lacquerware. Genuine urushi and traditional resin lacquer take weeks of layered curing; a sprayed finish takes a day. Ask how many coats and how long the curing took. Also flag that true lacquer sap causes skin reactions in some people during manufacture, and that the cured product must be kept away from prolonged direct sun or it crazes.
Where this craft is made
Countries with real depth in this craft, and where inside them it concentrates.
| Vietnam Layered lacquer over wood and eggshell inlay, made at commercial scale. | Open → |
| Myanmar Bagan lacquerware over woven bamboo, one of the most distinctive traditions. | Open → |
| Japan Urushi lacquer at the highest level of craft, with regional schools. | Open → |
| India Turned and lacquered wood traditions in Channapatna, Sankheda and Kashmir. | Open → |
| China Carved cinnabar lacquer and large commercial production. | Open → |
| Germany — Seiffen Painted turned woodwork rather than lacquer, but the same buying questions. | Open → |
| Colombia Known especially for its painted wood — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| France One of the countries where this craft concentrates — the country page carries the full picture. | Open → |
| Hungary One of the countries where this craft concentrates — the country page carries the full picture. | Open → |
| Mexico Known especially for its lacquered gourds — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| Nepal One of the countries where this craft concentrates — the country page carries the full picture. | Open → |
| Norway Known especially for its rosemaling painted wood — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| Peru Retablos; shipibo painted cloth. | Open → |
| Portugal Known especially for its painted wood — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| Rwanda Known especially for its imigongo painted panels — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| Senegal One of the countries where this craft concentrates — the country page carries the full picture. | Open → |
| Sri Lanka Known especially for its lacquerware — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| Thailand Known especially for its lacquer — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
| Ukraine Known especially for its petrykivka painting — the country page carries the full tradition. | Open → |
Explore this craft worldwide
| Product range and what is available | Explore → |
| Best known products by country | Explore → |
| Design traditions and patterns | Explore → |
| How to judge quality in the finished piece | Explore → |
| Telling handmade from machine-made | Explore → |
| Sizes, forms and typical dimensions | Explore → |
| Colours, finishes and surface options | Explore → |
| Price levels in the market | Explore → |
| Care, cleaning and durability | Explore → |
| Uses, styling and where the product fits | Explore → |
| Buying, minimum orders and lead time | Explore → |
| What buyers should check before ordering | Explore → |
| Geographical indications and craft marks | Explore → |
| Market demand and current trends | Explore → |
Famous names of the craft
Long-established houses of this craft worldwide. Each opens a live answer on that name.
| Zohiko — Kyoto · urushi lacquer house | Explore → |
| Yamada Heiando — Tokyo · lacquerware, imperial household purveyor | Explore → |
| Hanoia — Vietnam · Vietnamese lacquer brand | Explore → |
| Fedoskino — Russia · lacquer miniature painting school | Explore → |
| Palekh — Russia · icon-rooted lacquer miniatures | Explore → |
| Khokhloma of Semyonov — Russia · gold-and-red painted wood | Explore → |
| Wajima lacquer houses — Japan · Wajima-nuri tradition | Explore → |
| Bagan lacquerware — Myanmar · the yun-de tradition of Bagan | Explore → |
Fix these before asking for a quotation
- The technique, named exactly — the process, not the look.
- The input specification: material, grade and source.
- An agreed variation tolerance for size, colour and weight.
- The finish system, including who applies it.
- The compliance regime of your selling market, identified before sampling.