14. Large Carved Tixi Lacquer Brush and Cover
Ming dynasty, 1368 - 1644
Length: 24.0cm
One of at least fourteen different lacquer decoration techniques used in China, tixi involved painting alternating layers of either black and red lacquer, or black, red and yellow to form a thick body. This was then carved away in deep V-shaped grooves to form curvilinear designs, particularly of cloud or pommel scrolls, revealing contour-like lines. The name used for this technique relates to the carved visual effects – tixi (carved rhinoceros [horn]) in Chinese.
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