While matte furniture finishes have been a dominant trend for some time, in 2026, a more energizing look may have its time to shine in the spotlight.

Following is a transcript of the video. Narrator: Sơn mài is a traditional Vietnamese form of lacquer painting created using a toxic lacquer harvested from one region of the country. It requires ...

Lacquer is usually for precious, pricey stuff. Think handcrafted bowls and serving trays, religious artefacts in museum collections, and the facades of old shrines, temples and other architectural ...

Once considered “over the top” and “showy," lacquer is making a comeback. The finish is now considered to be both modern and ...

Lacquer cups, like this one, were sometimes given by the emperor to an official as a gift or in lieu of salary. An inscription on the bottom lists the six artisans that made the cup and the seven ...

When organic chemist Takayuki Honda visited Okinawa Island in southern Japan a few years ago, he purchased a small dish coated with the glossy vermilion lacquer that’s characteristic of the region.

Last month, an intriguing, black lacquer bed with a swooping silhouette, part of a sale at Christie’s, was all over my Instagram feed. It was Jean Dunand's 1932 bed Aux Nenuphars (With Waterlilies), ...

Li Ziqi, one of China's most popular influencers, made a surprising comeback after she stopped posting videos for more than three years. [Video grab] After a hiatus of over three years, Li Ziqi, the ...

Environmentally unfriendly, volatile and a total sod to work with... But enough about Jeremy Clarkson - what's all the fuss about nitrocellulose? And why do guitar players still want to have their ...

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice. The bar below Selin Kiazim’s newish Turkish restaurant Leydi is, unfortunately, a local of ...

In a week of programmes exploring the nature of power and the emergence of new rulers around the world 2000 years ago, Neil MacGregor takes us to Han Dynasty China. He tells the story of how the ...