Please cite this article in press as: H. Szczepanowska, R. Ploeger, The chemical analysis of Southeast Asian lacquers collected from forests and workshops in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar, Journal of Cultural Heritage (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.05.015 ARTICLE IN PRESS G Model CULHER-3610; No. of Pages 11 Journal of Cultural Heritage xxx (2019) xxx–xxx Available online at ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com Review The chemical analysis of Southeast Asian lacquers collected from forests and workshops in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar Hanna Szczepanowska a,∗ , Rebecca Ploeger b a West Virginia University, School of Art and Design, 26506 Morgantown, WV, USA b The Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY, USA a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 11 February 2019 Accepted 22 May 2019 Available online xxx Keywords: Thitsi Laccol Southeast Asian lacquer a b s t r a c t For centuries lacquer has been used for utilitarian, decorative, and ceremonial objects throughout Southeast Asia. In this work, the current harvesting methods and workshop uses of lacquer in Viet- nam, Cambodia, and Myanmar are documented. It combines and links observations from known forest and workshop provenances, and analytical characterization results of the lacquers using Fourier trans- form infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Lacquers from three different tree species were identified, including laccol from Toxicodendron succedanea in Vietnam, and thitsiol from Gluta usitata (Myanmar) and Gluta laccifera (Cambodia). As well, several organic and inor- ganic additives were characterized. The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of regional differences in lacquer sourcing and working methods in Southeast Asia. © 2019 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. 1. Introduction Lacquer, the natural latex produced by some indigenous trees of the Anacardiaceae family in Asia, has been used for centuries as a utilitarian material, as well as for decorative vessels, lacquer paint- ings, and surface finishes on religious statues (Fig. 1). The everyday use of lacquer was mainly as a waterproofing material, primarily for boats, paper and cloth for umbrellas [1], and as a surface fin- ish for large plaited baskets used to carry the goods to and from the market. All forms of lacquer applications, for utilitarian and ceremonial uses [2,3], are currently practiced today, as observed during recent fieldwork. Many of the current lacquer techniques and production are well described by Isaacs and Blurton [3]. How- ever, lacquer harvesting is declining in general in Southeast Asia, as consistently expressed by all practitioners interviewed during the years of fieldwork in Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia (from 2015 to 2019). Similar remarks and observations were expressed dur- ing the 2015 Bangkok conference on lacquer [4], and reiterated by lacquer practitioners, artists and educators during the 2017 Asian Lacquer Craft Exchange Program in Myanmar meeting in Bagan, Myanmar [5]. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail address: hannams2013@gmail.com (H. Szczepanowska). Fig. 1. Examples of contemporary lacquerware pieces from Bagan, Myanmar (per- sonal collection). Only one vessel, in the far left, follows the Myanmar tradition in form and decoration of hsun-ok [6]. The gilded small containers and simple black and red one resemble more of a recently adopted Japanese style (photo credit: H. Szczepanowska, 2017). The aim of this work is to contribute to the current knowledge of lacquer in its regional context in three surveyed countries: Cambo- dia, Vietnam and Myanmar. The chemical markers of these lacquers were studied to help distinguish the raw materials with respect to their provenance, and to determine if lacquer samples could be traced back to their original geographical source, tree species, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.05.015 1296-2074/© 2019 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.