Why do lacquerware advocate red and black?

The color language and style of lacquerware are extremely remarkable and unique. It uses black and red as the basic colors of decorative painting, with vermilion on the black background and black stripes on the red background. This kind of color collocation was naturally established almost from the beginning of lacquerware, for certain reasons: on the one hand, from the visual effect, red is mainly modulated by mineral cinnabar, with bright and saturated tone, which is the highest purity color among all colors; And black is broad, generous and steady, which is the lowest brightness color. This pair of high purity and low lightness colors is deep but not dull, luxurious but not ostentatious, which meets the aesthetic requirements of Chinese people. On the other hand, the combination of red and black is valued, not only because of its simplicity and beauty, but also because China people worship black and attach importance to the concept of red, which is related to the five elements. "Red", the color of the sun, also corresponds to the fire in the five elements. With the sun, everything can survive, and with fire, it can repel the invasion of wild animals and ensure life. It is precisely because of this most instinctive demand for life that our ancestors have deep feelings and support for red and have always regarded red as the most auspicious color. Moreover, the color characteristics of red and black have been fully exerted in the preparation and use of coatings. Their color characteristics can fully express and reflect the tough, soft and smooth characteristics of natural coatings, and other colors can hardly replace the value function and visual effect of these two colors.

Brief introduction of lacquerware: daily utensils, handicrafts and artworks painted on the surfaces of various utensils are generally called "lacquerware". Raw lacquer is a natural juice cut from lacquer tree, which is mainly composed of urushiol, laccase, resin and water. It has special functions such as moisture-proof, high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, and can also be used to prepare paints with different colors, which is radiant. In China, the performance of lacquer has been known since the Neolithic Age, and it is used to make utensils. From the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the lacquer craft in China has been developing continuously, reaching a fairly high level. China's gold-plated painted handicrafts have a far-reaching influence on Japanese and other places. Lacquerware is an important invention of chemical technology and arts and crafts in ancient China.