The history of human production and use of paint dates back to the Stone Age. Extensive archaeological evidence confirms that as early as 7,000 years ago, people in primitive societies prepared rudimentary coating materials using animal fats, tree sap, and natural pigments; they applied these with tools such as feathers and twigs for decorative purposes. With the progress of human society and the advent of the Bronze Age, ancient civilizations made varying degrees of advancement in formulating coatings directly from natural substances.
In China, as early as the Shang Dynasty, natural lacquer harvested from wild lacquer trees was used to decorate utensils, palaces, and temples. By the Spring and Autumn period, the technology for processing tung oil into coatings had been mastered. During the Warring States period, the practice of blending raw lacquer with tung oil emerged-marking the introduction of additives in coating formulations and propelling the development of coatings into a new era. The lacquer coffins and artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui Han tombs in Changsha feature tough, durable lacquer films with excellent protective qualities; these findings vividly demonstrate the high level of maturity Chinese raw lacquer technology had attained by the 2nd century BC. The combined use of tung oil and natural lacquer gave rise to the common term "youqi" (literally "oil-lacquer" or paint), a name that has persisted to this day.
