THE ILLUSTRATION llOUTK Ol.K. 



CHINESE AND JAPANESE LACQUER. 



The secret of the composition of this substance has lorn: silver ornamental design is 

 defied the inquiries and investigations of Europeans, h is. completm- the work 

 however, not the only mystery that has baffled the ingenuity Another method of lacquer 

 of our artists and manufacturers to avoid the enormous with a eoatiir- of re- 

 tribute Ave annually pay to the far East. fag , - 



For a long time it was thought to be impossible to re- upon which s 

 cognise the basis of the different sorts of lacquer so cleverly new hair pen< 

 employed by the Chinese and Japanese in the embellishment i< ,[ 

 of small ware, toys and furniture. We owe our knowledge with 

 that lacquer is a reddish resinous exudation obtained In r . 

 incision from a tree called Tsi-chou to Roman Catholic Mis- |„ V(l , a ; , , 

 sionaries, and mainly to Father d'Incarville. This tree is atmosphere u kepi rather an 

 the Ehus vernicifera of botanists, a member of a family tin. 



rich in resin-producing species. It is indigenous in se\. ..,„.,. t j„. „ 



provinces of China and Japan, and has even been found as burnisher mad 

 far westward as Nepal. Yeou jj ( . !ia |j. wat(1] . , |]1( j ;| (i 



In the preparation of the lacquer, the first process is to List coat alone is noi snbje ( 

 free the resin from its watery constituents , which is effected down. The ornamentation ol 

 by exposure to the sun and frequent stirring with a wooden 1 )V special, and occasionally. 

 spatula. j s )i ist f a ]] sketched out 



Afterwards, the materials characterising the different kinds 

 of varnish are mixed with it. The ordinary sort , or shining 

 varnish (Kouang-tsi), is a compound of the resin , pig's gall 

 and vitriol. By adding to this pulverised charred bones of 

 the stag, or ivory black, mixed with the volatile oil obtained 

 from the tea plant, the beautiful black Japanese lacquer 

 (Yang-tsi) is obtained. The white variety is manufactured 

 from the common sort by adding silver-leaf; red by the 

 addition of cinnabar, (sulphuret of mercury,) or safflower, 

 Carthamus tinctorius; yellow by orpiment; green by orpi- 

 ment and indigo ; and violet by the mixture of a powdered 

 stone called tse-che. Another rare and valuable varnish, the 

 Noa-kin-tsi, furnishes the materials for the golden ornamen- 

 tations on the fancy articles received from those countries. 



Before applying the lacquer, the surface of the article to 

 be lacquered is polished as smooth as it is possible to bring 

 it, all cracks and depressions being carefully stopped with 

 silk-tissue or paper, and then a coating of the oil of Joug- 

 chou, (Elaeococca vernicifera or Aleurites cordata), over 

 which, when dry, the lacquer is spread. Two or three very 

 thin coats still leave the grain of the wood visible. Increasing 

 the number of coats the colour of the material is hidden, 

 and a bright shining surface is obtained, upon which the 





the lacquei 

 design. Rei 



take golden shell; 

 in gold dust. Th 

 effected by sum 



The perfection 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 

 Dietionnaire cle Pomologie. - Les Pommes, Pomological Dictionary. Apples, by M. AndH Leroy. 



We have received the third and fourth volumes of the 

 gigantic work devoted to Pomology by M. Andre Leroy. 



The Apples form a monograph , if not of absolutely all the 

 varieties cultivated in Europe and America, at least of all 

 the principal and most desirable sorts. The idea, indeed, 

 of such a vast undertaking is worthy of admiration, a task 

 that the monks alone of the middle ages would have ventured 

 to impose upon themselves. Ever}' fruit has been grown by 

 M. Leroy and described from fresh specimens. Each des- 

 cription of the 550 varieties admitted, embodies the following 

 particulars : Description of the tree .-Wood, shoots, lenticels, 



call tare. Dw; 



skin, flesh. Jul 



Then follow - 



The historh 



