A Material of Memory and Transformation
Lac comes from the word laksha, meaning one hundred thousand. It refers to the countless Kerria lacca insects that gather on living trees and slowly produce this resin. Kusum, ber, and palash trees form the ecosystem where Lac grows. These trees hold ecological value and cultural meaning, rooted in landscapes where ritual, livelihood, and environment exist together. Lac is grown through this relationship. It takes time. It follows seasonal rhythms. It cannot be separated from the living systems that sustain it.
Early Encrustation on a Kusum Tree
Image ref: Arunpol Seal
Once harvested, Lac continues to demand care. It is processed by hand through heat and pressure, guided by experience rather than precision tools. The material reacts constantly. Temperature alters its behaviour. Time changes its consistency. Lac remains responsive throughout the process, requiring attentiveness at every stage.
Working with chapdi, thin sheets of Lac pressed by hand while warm, reveals the nature of this responsiveness. There is a brief moment when the material becomes workable. That moment cannot be measured. It has to be recognised through touch. The hands learn to respond through repetition and observation. This practice builds intimacy between maker and material. The process depends on patience and sensitivity.
Chapdi
Chapdi carries knowledge passed through generations. It exists within indigenous craft traditions shaped by lived experience. The skill resides in bodies, gestures, and memory rather than written instruction. The pace of this work follows human rhythm. It resists speed. It retains traces of the people who work with it. These traces remain visible on the surface.
Across history, Lac has moved through many uses. It sealed documents and storage vessels. It coloured textiles in deep reds and warm oranges. It appeared in Ayurvedic practices valued for healing properties. It protected wood and metal as varnish. It carried recorded sound in shellac records, preserving voices and music over time. Each use reflects the adaptability of the material.
Lac is biodegradable, renewable, and non toxic. These qualities belong to its nature. They do not require intervention. Lac functions as a natural polymer shaped by environment and process.
The material responds continuously to its surroundings. Heat alters its form. Humidity changes its surface. Dry conditions lead to cracking. Moist conditions bring softness. Time leaves marks that remain visible. Fingerprints and pressure stay embedded within the surface. Lac records the process of making.
Lac carries memory through transformation. Itchanges with context. It holds evidence of touch, time, and environment. Working with Lac involves staying present with this transformation and allowing the material to remain alive within the object.