Lacquer in Asia: from technique to art

A table of lacquered products (including the table itself)

Coproducer: CNRS-Images
Head of production: Jean-François Sabouret
Director: Momoko Seto

Produced: 2010
Duration: 52 minutes
Languages: English, French, Japanese

Based on the original idea of: Tran Huy Quang

Shell used to collect lacquer

For the first time, this film tells the story of the great adventure of lacquer, the distinguished technique that has existed in Asia for over 9,000 years. From lacquer trees to synthetic lacquer, Japanese Wajima bowls to mass-produced furniture in China, and polished lacquer paintings in Vietnam, craftsmen, artists and researchers illustrate the different faces of these objects which have become works of art.

This documentary can be ordred from CNRS Images.

A polished lacquer painting by Nguyen Gia Tri

This documentary was produced with the support of:
L’Association d’Amitié franco-vietnamienne, Montpellier
L’Association des Beaux-Arts de Hanoi,
CNRS office, Beijing
“Directions Production”, Japan

Lacquered bowls from Wajima