中国生漆文明的起源

漆器和生漆技术是中国独特的发明,有着7000年不间断的文明史,是"地地道道从中国传过去的整个化学最重要的根源之一。生漆是从漆树皮层采集的天然树脂,具有神奇的变色现象和惊人的黏结力,自然固化后又能形成光亮的黑色物质。远古的人类在同大自然的抗争中,学会了生存技巧,增长了智力,发展了谋生手段,掌握了生漆的特性,积淀了生漆的知识,并利用生漆用于制器、装饰和记事表意,美化生活,记录文字,成为贵族阶层财富和地位的象征物。随着技术进步,生漆技术逐渐演化成为一种成熟的、高级的营造工艺和极致的艺术形态,孕育出了髹漆工艺体系和生漆文明,成为人类永远的财富。探究人类对髹漆器物的最初需求以及与之相应的髹漆工艺的发生和进化轨迹,能使我们更加深刻地理解生漆与人类源远流长的文化关系以及人类与环境的关系。

Lacquer ware and raw lacquer technique are Chinag unique inventions with 7000 years of uninterrupted civilization, and become one of the most important sources of the chemistry spreaded abroad from China. Raw lacquer is the natural resin collected from the lacquer tree cortex, and has amazing adhesion and wonderful discolora- tion, forming shiny black material after natural curing. Ancient human learned survival skills, increased intelligence, developed the means of livelihood, acquired the properties of the raw lacquer and aecumulated knowledge about tile raw lacquer during struggling with nature. The raw lacquer was used to make the ware, decorate, make life more beautiful, record text, and became the symbol of wealth and status. As the technology advances, lacquer technique gradually evolves into a mature, advanced technology and delicate art form, breeds painting process system and the lacquer civilization, and becomes the wealth of mankind forever. Exploring the human needs of painted lacquer objects, and the occurrence and evolution track of the relevant painting process, will enable us to more deeply under- stand the relation between raw lacquer and ancient culture of human, as well as the relation between human and the environment.