Fuzhou Bodiless Lacquerware Craft

Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware was created during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty by the master craftsman Shen Shao'an, who built on the ancient hemp-cloth lacquer technique. With Shoushan stone carving and cork painting it forms the 'three treasures' of Fuzhou crafts.

A clay or wood core is wrapped in summer hemp cloth and lacquered repeatedly; once the form sets, the inner core is removed, leaving a piece that is light yet strong. Dozens of further steps—coating, polishing, gold tracing and inlay—give it a lustrous, water-resistant finish.

Praised as 'colored like gemstones and light as nothing,' bodiless lacquerware is a summit of Chinese lacquer art and was inscribed on the first national ICH list in 2006.

The craft is transmitted mainly in Fuzhou, and its works and history can be viewed at the Fujian Museum and the city's craft galleries.