|There are a variety of different lacquer
techniques practiced in Mexico today. Broadly, the pieces available fall into the two categories:
or 'Pincel' (painted) Lacquer
|The base processes are broadly the same
for all types of lacquer. The variations in the techniques are most evident
in the decoration of the pieces. The main processes are:
the object to be lacquered
the black lacquer base layer
the object to be lacquered
The lacquering technique may be applied to
any number of objects. Some common examples:
The fruits used to make lacquered gourds
come from two types of plant:
The xicaleuáhitl tree
The cucurbitaceae family of plants (members
include pumpkins, marrows, and squashes)
|After suitable gourds are selected, they
need to go through a drying process. Drying is generally done close to
where the plants are grown. After drying, the gourds are delivered to the
artists ready to be lacquered. Some artists prefer to grow their own gourds.
|The gourds are cut when they are still
immature then left to dry out naturally. After drying, the gourd is hard
and dry. The seeds and pulp now need to be removed. Removal of the now
dry pulp is done by filling the gourd with water and leaving it to soak
for a couple weeks. The pulp softened during this soaking and may be easily
removed afterwards. The shell is sufficiently hardened so maintains its
shape while the pulp is softened. Once the pulp is scooped out the gourd
is ready to be lacquered!
The wood used for all our wooden boxes
comes from the linaloé tree. This wood is specially selected for
the delicious aroma that emanates after it has been cut.
the scent of the wood is natural, the aroma is enhanced by a very delicate
and skilled process. While the tree is still living, a surgically clean
and sharp instrument is used to make long cuts in the bark of the tree.
The cuts are made along the length of the tree trunk. These lesions permit
moisture to enter the tree creating dark lines in the wood of the tree.
These dark areas are highly aromatic and can be seen inside many of our
|The process creating these scent lines
is extremely delicate and is only performed by skilled experts. If the
cuts are made too lightly, no dark scent lines will be created. If the
cuts are made too deeply the tree will die! After making the cuts, the
tree needs to be left to grow for at least a further 10 months before it
is ready to be used.
For sealed pieces, where all exposed wood
is lacquered, there is obviously no need to use scented wood. For these
pieces a variety of woods are used - often with more than one type per
|Seasoning the wood
the tree is mature, it is cut and seasoned. The seasoning process consists
of first boiling the wood then leaving it to dry for several months, depending
on weather conditions. This seasoning process helps dissipate any resin
deposits in the wood. Resin deposits need to be avoided as, in time, they
may cause the lacquer finish to become separated from the wood.
|Creating the base object
The creation of a single lacquer piece
is usually the work of many specialized individuals. It is quite common
for a family to specialize only in making of the base wooden boxes which
are then passed on to other artists for the lacquering processes. Boxes
and charolas (square edged dishes and trays) are made in standard sizes
in the following stages:
Cutting the seasoned trunks into usable planks.
2. Planing the planks to smooth the sides.
It during the hand planing process that the natural aromas of the wood
3. Creation of the base object, e.g. box
or charola. Each piece is created with created precision to make sure nothing
detracts from the appearance of the final piece. At this stage the lids
of the boxes are actually sealed to the body using a light adhesive. This
is to ensure that the edges of the lids will be completely flush with the
body in the finished product.
of the base object before lacquering
the lacquer process to be effective, the wooden surface needs to absolutely
smooth and free from any defects what-so-ever. To achieve this smoothness,
each pieces undergoes an intensive sanding process.
The lacquer which is applied to the wooden
base is created from naturally occurring minerals and soils. The base layer
is created from the powdered minerals calcium carbonate and magnesium.
The minerals are extracted from the earth and powdered using a baking and
grinding process. The resulting black powder is known as the tepútzchuta
or the tizate. In order to apply the tizate to the wood it necessary to
mix it with natural oils. When combined with the oils, a polymerization
process occurs which gives the lacquer its protective qualities of hardness
and resistance to water.
|The oils used are obtained from plants,
seeds, and insects. Again, the production of these oils is a highly specialized
task requiring special knowledge of the local natural resources. The quality
of the tizate and oils is critical to the end appearance of the lacquer
and this is what can define the difference between a high quality lacquered
product, such as those sold at worldexperience.com, and lesser quality
of the piece
It is during the decoration of the lacquered
piece where the differences in technique are most evident. As mentioned
earlier, there are two main types of lacquer technique available from worldexperience.com;
engraved lacquer and painted lacquer.
|A good example of an engraved lacquer
piece is this box:
|A good example of a painted lacquer pieces
is this plate:
process for creating an engraved lacquer piece is truly fascinating. The
process begins after initial, generally black, tizante layer has been applied
and polished. Fresh oil is applied to the hard lacquer shell of the piece
and powdered gray soil is rubbed into the oil. This creates a new, dark
|After the second coat is dried, the distinctive
designs are scratched into the second coat. The designs are created from
the artists imagination as he or she works. This is why no two pieces of
engraved lacquer are exactly alike. The design is scratched into the second,
gray, coating using a special tool, the point of which is a long thorn
from a local thorn tree. The thorn is inserted into a feather, making it
easy to hold. The feather has another purpose as we'll see in a moment.
sections of the matte gray second layer are broken up into dust as the
designs are scratched into it. The scratching of the designs reveals the
shiny, generally black, base layer. It is obviously a very skilled process
to remove parts of the second layer without damaging the first layer -
and to create beautiful designs at the same time! This is the reason a
wooden tool is used for the scratching process - it is much less likely
to damage the lacquer coat than, say, a metal tool. As the dust from the
removed parts of the second layer builds up, it is brushed away using the
other end of the scratching tool - the feather.
the design has been completely revealed, the distinctive bright colors
are applied. The technique for applying the colored layer is very similar
to that used for applying the second layer. The piece is again covered
in natural oil then the sides are pressed into a container of brightly
colored powder. The powder sticks to the oil and so colors the piece. Of
course the color also sticks to the revealed, black, parts of the design
so it is necessary to carefully remove the colored layer from the revealed
sections before the final layer dries. This, again, is done with the special
thorn tool with the surplus dust is brushed away.
|Thanks to the oils, and the nature of
the soils used, the final colored layer merges into matte gray layer to
form a hard, durable, and very attractive finish. The end result is a 'two
level' appearance with the bright colored layer engraved away to reveal
the deep black lacquer underneath.
sometimes the color of the layers is reversed, with the colored layer being
applied first, with the final layer black. An example of this technique
this red charolas:
The painted lacquer technique basically
involves painting intricate designs over the main, black, lacquer layer.
A wide variety of painting techniques are used - in fact almost every artist
has their own, slightly unique, style. Generally, the painted design is
applied in such a way that the design is raised slightly above the base
black layer. This gives a beautiful texture which is pleasant to the touch
as well as the eye!
most common tool for applying the paint is a 'pincel'. Artists tend to
make their own pincels using cat hairs which are bound tightly then inserted
into the plume of a feather. Apart from being readily available, cat hairs
are used because they allow a high level of control over the way the paint
is applied. This is essential for the detailed designs that are typical
of this art form.
|The colored paint is created from powdered
pigments. A small mound of white powdered pigment is placed on a smooth
board with a hollow in the center. Natural oil is poured into the hollow
then vigorously mixed with the white powder to form a thick paste. Powdered
colors are then added to the paste and blended until the desired shade
Instead of using a black base layer, there
is a very special technique which uses gold or silver leaves as the base.
Designs are then painted onto the gold or silver leaf using standard painted
lacquer techniques but usually of exceptional high quality and detail.
We are proud to offer some of these pieces on special order basis. Please
contact us for details.
As a final step, a variety of waxes are used
to polish each piece. The polishing gives protection and shine to the artwork
and will keep your lacquered piece looking beautiful for many lifetimes!
The final lacquer finish is very durable and may be cleaned and polished
with standard household furniture polish.
the case of boxes, a few finishing touches need to be made - like the fitting
of hinges! During the preparation and lacquering process, the lid of the
box is lightly glued to the body to ensure that the edges of the lid will
be perfectly flush with the body. To finish the piece, the lid needs to
be separated and the hinges added. This is usually the work of yet another
The most final, and most important, step in
the lifetime of a lacquered piece is when it becomes one of your treasured
possessions! Mexican lacquer is one of the beautiful way to decorate any
environment, whether your living room, bedroom, kitchen, or office.
here to read about the history of Mexican lacquer and the places where it's