{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T01:56:34Z","timestamp":1781142994023,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781049600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Arts Fund 2025 Talent Training Project","award":["2025-A-05-077-608"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025-A-05-077-608"]}]},{"name":"2023 Key Scientific Research Project of Anhui Higher Education Institutions","award":["2023AH051344"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023AH051344"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Chinese lacquerware is a multi-layered natural polymer composite whose characterization is complicated by burial degradation, organic\u2013inorganic mixing, and the overlap of signals from lacquer, drying oils, proteins, polysaccharides, waxes, and pigments. This review evaluates analytical strategies for Chinese lacquerware by distinguishing three complementary levels of evidence: morphological and elemental observation, chemically specific molecular fingerprinting, and biomolecular source recognition. Microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy\u2013energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) are useful for identifying stratigraphy, pigments, fillers, and functional groups, but they are often insufficient for assigning degraded organic matrices and trace additives independently. Pyrolysis\u2013gas chromatography\/mass spectrometry provides more specific molecular evidence through diagnostic marker classes, including alkyl catechols, alkyl phenols, nitrogen-containing pyrolysis products, anhydrosugars, long-chain aliphatics, aldehydes, and ketones. Immunological assays based on lacquer glycoproteins further complement chemical analysis by supporting biological source differentiation, although their reliability depends on protein preservation, extraction efficiency, and antibody specificity. Representative case studies, including a seventeenth-century Swedish lacquered pipe, the Nanyue Kingdom lacquered ear cup, and a Tang Dynasty lacquered leather artifact, show that robust interpretation requires cross-validation among stratigraphic, elemental, spectroscopic, chromatographic, immunological, and archaeological evidence. The review concludes that integrated analytical workflows can improve material identification, clarify manufacturing sequences, assess degradation uncertainty, and provide more reliable evidence for conservation decision-making and the reconstruction of historical lacquer craftsmanship.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18121454","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T00:48:35Z","timestamp":1781138915000},"page":"1454","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Analytical and Molecular Recognition Strategies for Chinese Lacquerware Conservation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Yuanyuan","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Art, Huangshan University, Huangshan 245021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yujia","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Furnishing and Industrial Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinhao","family":"Feng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Furnishing and Industrial Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0300-5715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xinyou","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Furnishing and Industrial Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, X., Liu, M., Chen, Y., Wang, W., and Liu, X. 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