Cinnebar

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Cinnebar is wood from the cinnebar tree which grows in Southeast Asia. The cinnebar beads, boxes and accessories that one can buy these days are made by pressing a pattern into the wood and then the color is enhanced with a resin to give it stability as the wood is very soft.

Imperial China's Lacquers were revered because of the time and superior craftsmanship required to produce them. Cinnebar is created from the sap of a native Chinese tree, "Rhues Verniciflua". The lacquering technique dates back 3000 years and involves the application of up to 200 thin layers of processed sap. The sap produces a natural varnish that protects the wood. Carving the lacquer is equally arduous and is considered a true art

Note that cinnebar is not the same as the mineral cinnabar which is mercury in one of its natural forms.