Lacquer in Chinese people’s life has a history as long as that of Chinese civilization. In ancient times, only noble families were permitted to use delicate lacquerware which continued to exist in Qing dynasty when there still were detailed regulations on lacquer usage. According to that, lacquerware was only for people who were in a higher position than literati and officialdom. People without any official titles were not qualified to use lacquerware. According to Discourses on Salt and Iron, a historical records of West Han dynasty, “a cup needs a hundred people to lacquer and a screen needs ten thousand people to lacquer.” From this we can see, lacquerware was extremely luxurious in ancient times, even more luxurious than luxuries in modern times. This course presents all lacquer works from the earliest unearthed lacquerware to modern lacquer painting in a chronological order, and share with all of you their art characteristics, aesthetic taste and functions based on social and cultural background of each period.