In order to get a better understanding of the techniques and materials used to manufacture lacquer ware which is in a state of partial water saturation, and to provide a scientific basis for its restoration and protection, scanning electron microscope - energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM - EDS) , X - ray diffraction (XRD) , Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT - IR) and other techniques were used to access the manufacture techniques and materials used to make a lacquer coffin unearthed from a Ming dynasty tomb in Shaanxi. According to the experimental results, the lacquer coffin consisted of the following: wooden core, fiber, plaster layer, lacquer layer and pigment layer. Hemp fiber, clay, raw lacquer, gold and cinnabar (HgS) were the main materials applied. These findings are consistent with those in the literature. The lacquer coffin is representative of typical, traditional lacquer coffin manufacturing techniques.