Cinnabar is the term used to describe a high red carved Chinese lacquerware. It used to be made of highly toxic mineral known as mercuric sulfide. This red mineral is what you see in old fashioned thermometers, also. It is highly toxic. the toxicity of mercury and cinnabar was recognized in 2000 BC when the task of mining of quicksilver was designated to slaves and prisoners.
Lacquerware is any type of object that is coated with or formed from distilled sap of the lac tree, which is sumac like poison ivy and oak. The tree is tapped like a maple and the resulting gum is purified by heating then made into lacquer by adding a solvent.
Cinnabar lacquerware has exsisted some 2,300 years or even more in China. In 1955 ruins were unearthed in Tuanjie Village and Meiyan Township that contained lacquer painted black pottery objects that were intact. These earliest lacquered articles are now kept in the Musieum of Nanjing.
i tryed to comment earlier on my palm TX, but i lost the wifi signal! this is good stuff here!!! im amazed!! i never heard of this!! thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw things like this when I was in China. How beautiful. Interesting, too. Welcome back to blogland. Happy Howlerdees.
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