| Abstract: | ![]()
Oriental lacquer has been used as a surface coating for wood, porcelain and metal, and three different types are known: Japanese (or Chinese) lacquer (urushiol-based), Vietnamese lacquer (laccol-based) and Burmese lacquer (thitsiol-based). Identification of these types in ancient coatings is very important in conservation and restoration studies. A two-stage pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method is effective for the analysis of lacquer films. This is shown here using an ancient lacquer film sample from medieval material excavated at Tobarikyu (Japan), The sample was identified, by comparison with linseed oil and authentic lacquer films, as an urushiol-based Rhus vernicifera (Japanese) lacquer which includes an added oil component. |
