Thai Golden Lacquered Wood Decorative Bowl, "Golden Night"

A glossy bowl of mango wood showcases Nantana Sompamitre's art. This exquisite bowl is lacquered inside and out, the outer surface is richly adorned in gold. She lathes the mango wood into the desired shape and coats it with lacquer. When dry, it is polished, and another coat is applied – up to twenty times – before as many six coats of pure lacquer are applied. The final layer is polished with powdered fired clay. The piece is gilded with a technique called lai rot nam, and it is dusted with a wooden powder. Then the background is covered with a gummy paint, and dusted again. A thin coat of lacquer is applied to the entire surface and, before it dries, gold leaves are placed over it and firmly pressed into place.