Shanxi Lacquerware Workshop: The Resurgence of Thousand-Year-Old Lacquer Art

山西漆器，承载着中华文明的厚重历史与匠人智慧，是中国传统漆艺的重要代表。从新石器时代萌芽，到明清时期鼎盛，漆器工艺在山西这片土地上传承千年，形成了独特的艺术风格与精湛的制作技艺。2006年，平遥推光漆器髹饰技艺被列入首批国家级非物质文化遗产名录，成为山西文化的一张闪亮名片。

Shanxi lacquerware bears the weight of China's profound civilization and the ingenuity of its artisans, standing as a prominent emblem of traditional Chinese lacquer artistry. From its nascent stages in the Neolithic period to its zenith during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the craft of lacquerware has been perpetuated for millennia in Shanxi, cultivating a distinctive artistic flair and masterful craftsmanship techniques. In 2006, the Pingyao varnished lacquerware technique was inscribed onto the inaugural list of China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage, emerging as a luminous hallmark of Shanxi's cultural heritage.  

山西漆器以平遥推光漆器最为著名，其制作工艺繁复考究，需经历数十道工序，包括选料、木工、漆工、画工、镶嵌等。其中，“推光”技艺尤为独特——工匠以手掌蘸麻油和砖灰反复推擦漆面，直至光亮如镜、温润如玉。此外，太原金漆镶嵌技艺同样精湛，匠人需经过包胎、调灰、刮灰、髹漆、彩绘、贴金箔等复杂工序，才能完成一件精美漆器。

Among the various forms of Shanxi lacquerware, Pingyao varnished lacquerware is the most celebrated. Its crafting process is intricate and demanding, encompassing scores of meticulous steps, including material selection, woodcarving, lacquer application, painting, and inlay work. Among these, the "polishing" technique stands out—artisans meticulously rub the lacquer surface with their palms dipped in a mixture of sesame oil and brick dust, until it gleams like a mirror and feels as smooth as jade. Furthermore, the Taiyuan gold lacquer inlay technique is equally remarkable, requiring artisans to navigate through a series of complex procedures such as mold shaping, ash mixing, putty application, lacquer coating, painting, and gold leaf affixing, before a single piece of exquisite lacquerware can be brought to fruition.  

为了让漆器更贴近现代审美，山西的非遗传承人不断探索创新。太原漆艺传承人郭喜梅将传统大漆工艺与时尚设计结合，开发出漆艺饰品、丝巾、服饰等文创产品，并举办“未来可‘漆’”展览，吸引20万人次线上观看。平遥推光漆器则在保留传统技法的基础上，融入现代元素，推出龙凤呈祥字画盒、大漆繁华花瓶等新品，在深圳文博会上大放异彩。

In order to bring lacquerware closer to modern aesthetics, the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in Shanxi have been continuously exploring innovations. Guo Ximei, an inheritor of Taiyuan lacquer art, has combined traditional lacquer craftsmanship with fashionable designs to develop cultural and creative products such as lacquer jewelry, silk scarves, and apparel. She also organized an exhibition titled "The Future of Lacquer," which attracted 200,000 online viewers. Pingyao varnished lacquerware, while retaining traditional techniques, has incorporated modern elements, launching new products such as auspicious dragon and phoenix calligraphy and painting boxes, and flourishing lacquer vases, which shone brightly at the Shenzhen Cultural Fair.