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"Son Mai", traditional Vietnamese technique of lacquer Nowadays very few artists follow the traditional Vietnamese technique of lacquer painting: son mai (lit.'Lacquer Sanding'). Indeed, the world of lacquer is in transition as many artists now opt to use artificial lacquer. Artificial lacquer requires only minimal sanding, a process which is integral to son mai. In the process of son mai, the lacquer is applied inlayers of different colour and varying thickness. Through sanding it is possible to bring underlying layers back to the surface. The artist must thus control the thickness of lacquer in order to create the desired colour and texture. After the painting and sanding is complete begins the lengthy process of polishing. The surface is polished firstly with human hair and then with the fingers or palm of the hand, using a low abrasive powdered charcoal. Natural lacquer is a living material and hardens through a chemical reaction with humidity. A natural lacquer artist's work is restricted by climate as only humid conditions with certain temperature enable rapid hardening of the substance. During the dry season an artist may have to wait a few days for this process. However, if the lacquer is caught by the dryness then hardening could become impossible. Only by understanding humidity and the condition of the lacquer can the artist gauge the outcome. Timing is crucial to the whole process: Colour may initially be concentrated at the surface. But will become brighter, purer and more true with time - one of the joys of natural lacquer. This is in contrast to artificial lacquer which produces instantly bright colours but lacks depth. The foundation for lacquer painting, the board(voc), is constructed from wood with several coats of lacquer to provide strength and ensure a flat base. The lacquer(son), the sap of sumac, is initially milk in complexion. This raw lacquer is mixed with the sap of a pine tree and stirred for about three days using wooden tool or an iron rod, forming brown(natural) or black colour respectively-the only two natural colours. The addition of pigment can produce a full spectrum of colour. Besides pigment, the lacquer artist may also use egg and river shells, gold and silver leaf, all of which can be applied as larger pieces or in a powdered form.