This tray is made from a bamboo core, which is strengthened with layers of clay and lacquer mixture. The final coat of fine quality lacquer should have produced the characteristic black colour of lacquer, but in this case, the lacquer was mixed with cinnabar pigment to achieve the red colour. Lacquerware included a wide range of utensils including water vessels, cosmetic containers, flower vases, food storage and eating utensils. It also served a variety of important religious functions, from preserving Buddhist manuscripts, to the presentation of food to the monastery.
