Techniques of Chinese Lacquer

This is the first English translation of Filippo Bonanni's acclaimed eighteenth-century treatise on Chinese lacquer. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum (March-May 2009) focusing on the conservation of the Victoria and Albert Museum's Mazarin Chest, this is the first English translation of Filippo Bonanni's (1658-1723) eighteenth-century treatise – considered to be the most important and comprehensive early study of Chinese lacquer in Europe. In "Techniques of Chinese Lacquer", Bonanni not only relates various authors' attempts to understand and analyse the composition of the newly imported Chinese lacquer, but also lists a variety of recipes and their effectiveness – including various European recipes developed as an affordable alternative to the Chinese import – and offers what he considers the most reliable recipe, as well as his own appraisal of the best uses and applications of the lacquer.