Traditionally, in Cambodia, lacquer has been used to protect objects from insects and the damp, and also, as anti-rust coating, for decorative purposes and for painting. Lacquer was used in everyday life on household utensils of wood, bamboo, rattan or leather as well as for Buddhist ritual objects, architectural decoration, furniture and musical instruments. Khmer lacquer resin is extracted from a tree called ‘dam kroeul’, a hardwood with a dark red bark found in Kampong Thom and Kratie provinces.Today the art of lacquer and lacquerware has become a dying one due lack of technical know-how, experience and raw materials, besids a lack of demand for lacquer in the market.
