Lacquer single-eared leather wine cup Qing Dynasty

China's Yi ethnic group, with a population of more than 9.83 million, is distributed mainly in southwest China's Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces. Craftsmen appeared very early in the history of the Yi ethnic group. Lacquerware is like a shining star among traditional Yi handicrafts. The technique used on Yi lacquerware started some 1,700 years ago. Its colors are red, from cinnabar; yellow, from orpiment; and black, the most recognizable symbol of the Yi nation, from carbon. The tri-color culture of Yi lacquerware is apparent in modeling styles, patterns and a distinct aesthetic. Yi lacquerware is imbued with rich regional characteristics as well as a strong ethos of humanism and totemism.