Magnolia fruit brooch, handmade brooch with natural Chinese lacquer

Materials: 

• Brooch Base: Magnolia fruit
• Surface coating: Natural Chinese lacquer
• Brooch pin: gold-plated 925 silver

All natural materials.

The handmade brooch is hand-crafted from the real fruit of the magnolia flower, each piece imprinted with its own history of sun and wind. Each brooch needs at less 3 month to make.

The purifying energy of Magnolia:

The magnolia flower symbolizes beauty, purity, and strength. Its delicate yet resilient nature embodies qualities of femininity, resilience, and perseverance. Associated with early spring, the magnolia represents renewal, growth, and the arrival of auspicious opportunities, while its medicinal properties connect it to longevity and good fortune, making it a cherished symbol in art, literature, and cultural practices.

The Chinese lacquerware technique:

The "大漆" (dà qī) technique, also known as "Chinese lacquer," is a traditional artistic practice deeply rooted in Chinese culture. It involves the meticulous application of sap extracted from the lacquer tree, known for its durability and glossy finish. Dating back thousands of years, this technique has been employed to create exquisite objects ranging from furniture and utensils to decorative items and artworks.

Artisans skilled in the "大漆" technique carefully layer the lacquer onto various base surfaces, often wood, bamboo, or metal, to produce stunning visual effects. (The brooch uses the real fruit of the magnolia as base surface) The process typically involves several stages of coating, drying, and polishing, sometimes interspersed with intricate designs or inlaid materials like mother-of-pearl, gold leaf, or colored pigments.

China Lacquer, the resin of a family of trees found throughout southern China—as well as in Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan—is an amazing material. When exposed to oxygen and humidity, lacquer hardens or polymerizes, becoming a natural plastic and an ideal protective covering for screens, trays, and other implements. It can keep for thousands of years.

Since ancient times, natural or raw earth lacquer from the Sumac Tree has been used as medicine. It is a "pure natural" product. The lacquer collection methods and process are extremely complex, collectors have to cut the mountain barks carefully in the middle of night and change the shell clam (which is used to collect the lacquer) every few seconds. Natural Lacquer is extremely expensive — A single lacquer tree can only cut 10 kg of raw lacquer in its life cycle; 3000 lacquer trees can only collect 1 kg of lacquer!

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, "大漆" holds profound cultural significance in Chinese tradition. It symbolizes resilience, as the lacquer itself is derived from a tree that thrives despite harsh conditions. Additionally, the meticulous craftsmanship required embodies the virtues of patience, precision, and reverence for nature—a reflection of traditional Chinese values.

Care instruction: do not immerse in water for a long time. Keep in a cool and dry place.