Eggshell Lacquer
Egg shell is used to decorate southeast Asian laquerware. The shells are applied to a thick coating of black laquer while it is still tacky then burnished to cause complex cracks.
This foot stool was modeled after a chair we saw in Chiang Mai.
Directions
- Collect egg shells and rinse them out and let them dry.
- Use a knife to lift up the inner membrane and peel it away from the egg shell.
- Paint the wood background with several layers of black acrylic paint and let it dry. Apply one last coat and immediately begin applying the egg shells.
- Place a piece of shell on the painted surface. Press down on the shell in the middle causing it to shatter. Carefully press the larger chunks so they are positioned like a puzzle.
- Cover a section with a piece of wax paper and gently tap the larger sections of shell with a hammer to cause smaller and smaller cracks to form.