A study on the manufacturing process of a coiled wood core lacquerware unearthed in Xuzhou

The Xuzhou coiled wood core lacquerware is a rare northern Chinese example with no recorded manufacturing method. To reconstruct its techniques, we analyzed detached core and lacquer films using multiple advanced analytical tools. Results show that the lacquerware employs a coiled wood core: a base of joined narrow slats and walls of successively stacked Cunninghamia lanceolata strips, collectively known as the Quandie (圈叠) in Chinese. Brick or tile powder was used as part of the foundation layer, with a fabric layer applied above the wooden core. The lacquerware adopts the Suxiu (素髹) craft, with a black exterior and a red interior. The raw lacquer used in this lacquerware contains a mixture of urushiol and laccol, tung oil was also detected in the film. These findings clarify the manufacture of coiled wood core lacquerware and inform its scientific conservation and restoration.