Chengdu
Her father, being one of the few Chengdu Lacquer craftsmen remaining, was told by the government that his skill had to be continued. Unable to find students willing to commit to the long processes, she and her husband took over the business themselves. She proudly announces that they are the only ones still making and selling these precious objects, and she may be right. Earlier I had paid a visit to the one remaining factory, also set up by the government in an attempt to save the craft, which supposedly still produced traditional lacquerware. The eerily quiet building turned out to be more of a hobby workshop for the other remaining lacquer craftspeople of the city.
So what is the future for this craft?
As I left the lady’s shop, I was reassured that this craft will soon be dead, and that if I brought one of the several thousand dollar vases I would get a great return on my investment. It was not the answer I was expecting, but again she may be right.