Lacquer
Natural lacquer acts as a binding and coating material. Layering and finishing contribute to the sculpture’s surface.
天然漆用于黏结与涂覆，施漆和修整共同形成作品表面。
Lacquer. Cloth. Form.
技艺：从材料到造像
Dry-lacquer sculpture brings lacquer, textile and a supporting form together. Its construction becomes clearer when we look beneath the surface.
Two ways of building.
A wooden core can remain inside a figure. A removable model can instead leave a hollow body of cloth and lacquer. Internal braces may also survive in a hollow work.
木胎可以保留在造像内部；移除塑形胎体，则可留下中空的漆布外壳。中空造像也可能保留内部支撑。
Technical examination of early Chinese sculpture ↗Simplified structural diagram. Layer counts and thickness vary by object.
The materials.
Textile
A technical study identified hemp in four early Chinese sculptures. The official Tiantai craft record specifies ramie. These terms describe different fibres.
早期四件中国造像的技术研究识别出大麻纤维；现代天台档案记载苎麻。两者须分别表述。
Ground & decoration
Fillers help shape and smooth a body. Recipes differ: examined early works contain bone filler; the Tiantai record describes mineral and tile powders.
填料用于塑形与修整。古代受检作品与现代地方工艺的配方并不相同。
Early sculpture: material analysis ↗·Tiantai: official craft record ↗
A process, in outline.
A simplified guide to hollow construction in the modern Tiantai tradition.
Model
Establish the shape on a model.
先塑造胎体，确定作品的形态。
Layer
Build up the body with cloth, lacquer and appropriate ground materials.
通过铺布、施漆与相应填料逐步构成漆布胎。
Remove
Remove the temporary model once the body is ready.
漆布胎成形后，移除临时胎体。
Refine
Adjust the modelling and smooth the surface.
修整形体，打磨表面。
Finish
Complete the surface with lacquer, colour or gilding as the work requires.
根据作品需要施漆、彩绘或贴金。
This overview groups many workshop operations into five stages. It is not a universal recipe for historical sculpture. The official Tiantai record describes 48 stages.
Read the source ↗