Art of Lacquer

The lacquer products designed and sourced by Silkwood Traders are individually handcrafted from either bamboo, jackfruit or wood fibre in Vietnam.

They are then coated in layer upon layer of lacquer and hand-painted, giving the most incredible depth of colour and beautiful lustre.

Lacquerware is a natural product that has been made in Vietnam for centuries - pieces have been unearthed dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries BC. Lacquer was traditionally reserved for decorating pagodas, temples and palaces. Traditional lacquer products were typically red (the colour of happiness) and gold (the colour of royalty).

Lacquer is made from the resin of the Son tree, which grows in highland areas. These trees start to produce lacquer sap after three years. The resin is stored in jars for between two and four months. After boiling, the resin turns white and becomes thick, like cream.

The high quality lacquerware sourced by Silkwood Traders has between 16-20 layers of lacquer. Each layer is left to dry and well-sanded back each time. Depending on the design, either patterns are painted on or the product covered with aluminium leaf for a stunning metallic finish. Additional coats of clear lacquer are then added and sanded again after each layer has completely dried.

Silkwood Traders laquerware is all hand-made and lacquered using natural resins. Please be aware that there are inferior quality, mass produced lacquer products on the market that are not as durable or beautiful as the hand-made, high quality products available from Silkwood Traders.

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