Techniques & Materials
Ancestral techniques refined over five decades. No shortcuts. No chemicals. Only time, mastery, and natural materials.
Foundation
Deep & Timeless
Our lacquer is tree resin from Toxicodendron trees in Cambodian forests — not synthetic paint. Trees grow for 15 years before the first cut. We work with 6 families who maintain traditional harvesting methods, and we cultivate our own lacquer tree plantation.
Each coat is applied by brush — tools unchanged for centuries. Every layer must cure 3 to 7 days under controlled humidity before the next round of sanding and coating. Standard pieces receive 20+ layers; prestige pieces, 30 to 50 layers.
Stocker Studio is the only workshop in Cambodia using real natural vegetal lacquer — not the synthetic substitutes found elsewhere. The difference is visible, tactile, and permanent.
Gilding
Sacred & Luminous
Traditional water gilding with 24-karat gold leaf, applied sheet by sheet, by hand. This is the same technique used in French cathedrals and Khmer temples for over 1,000 years.
We also use white gold leaf for contrast and fine detail work. The gold catches light in ways that no paint or metallic finish can replicate — it glows from within, shifting as you move around the piece.
Inlay
Delicate & Alive
Fragments as small as a grain of sand, placed one at a time with tweezers into wet lacquer. Each piece requires thousands of individual fragments, creating organic patterns like cracked earth or living skin.
After the eggshell is set, we apply 5 to 15 more coats of lacquer over the inlay. Then comes 20 to 30 hours of polishing with progressively finer materials — and finally, bare hands with oil — until the surface is glass-smooth and the eggshell glows beneath the lacquer.
Marquetry
Warm & Geometric
An ancient French decorative art using split rye straw, arranged in precise geometric patterns. Each strand is hand-placed to catch light from different angles, creating a shimmering effect as the viewer moves around the piece.
The natural golden hue of the straw shifts between warm amber and bright gold depending on the angle — no two views of the same piece are identical. This is one of the rarest decorative techniques still practiced anywhere in the world.
Materials
Beyond our core techniques, we work with extraordinary natural materials — each adding a unique character to our pieces.
Galuchat — prized for centuries in French decorative arts. Its pearlescent granular texture is unmistakable and incredibly durable.
Delicate fish scales preserved under layers of lacquer. Creates an organic, almost reptilian surface with iridescent shimmer.
Fine-grained fish leather with a subtle scale pattern. Adds an unexpected organic texture beneath the lacquer surface.
Traditional parchment-like surfaces that absorb and reflect lacquer differently, creating warm, tactile depth.
Woven horse hair stretched over bamboo forms, then lacquered. Creates pieces of remarkable lightness with visible fiber texture.
Fine Cambodian river sand embedded in lacquer layers. Adds mineral texture and a subtle, earthen roughness to finished surfaces.
Natural mineral pigment ground to powder and mixed into lacquer. The source of the legendary vermillion red of Asian lacquerware.
Iridescent jewel beetle wings, a decorative material with a 3,000-year history from ancient Egypt. Shimmers green-gold under light.
New Zealand paua shell, cut and inlaid into lacquer. Its vivid blue-green iridescence rivals precious gemstones.
Copper leaf with real plant imprints, oxidized naturally over time. Each piece develops unique patina patterns — nature as co-creator.
From Tree to Art
Every piece follows the same patient journey — from raw wood to finished art. There are no shortcuts.
The form is turned or carved from hevea wood — a sustainable hardwood that provides the ideal base for lacquer adhesion.
1-3 days
5 to 10 foundation layers of natural lacquer, each curing 3-7 days under controlled humidity. This builds the deep, protective base.
2-5 weeks
Meticulous hand-sanding between coats with progressively finer materials. The surface must be flawless before decoration begins.
Several days
Gold leaf gilding, eggshell mosaic inlay, rye straw marquetry, or rare texture application. The most skilled and time-intensive stage.
Days to weeks
10 to 20 additional coats of lacquer over the decoration. Each layer adds depth and protection, sealing the artwork beneath a luminous surface.
3-8 weeks
20 to 30 hours of hand polishing with progressively finer materials, finishing with bare hands and oil. The surface becomes mirror-smooth.
20-30 hours
Every piece is personally inspected by Eric Stocker before it leaves the workshop. No piece ships until it meets his exacting standards.
Final inspection
From raw wood to finished art. 20 to 50 layers. Dozens of hands. No shortcuts.
Each piece carries the weight of centuries of tradition and months of patient craftsmanship.
Stocker Studio