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Vietnamese lacquer art is an extremely labour–intensive and time-consuming work. The creation process starts with a wood, MDF or cork to be filled with a layer of natural lacquer which gradually seeps through to the core of wood to make it harder and against any rotting by insects. After that, the material will bear more layers of lacquer to cover any cracks on the surface and to reach the necessary thickness.
However, in between each layer of lacquer, the craftsmen must wait until the lacquer gets dried and then it is rubbed for a long duration in water. The work will be repeated many times (sometimes up to 15 layers or more) until the lacquerware becomes totally smooth.
Depending on the design, each product is decorated with hand paintings and engraved with other substances such as seashells, crushed eggshells, gold and silver sheets to embellish their works. These additional steps adds further uniqueness and beauty to each individual item.
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