The Orchard Factory was a Chinese imperial palace workshop during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The Orchard Factory primarily produced lacquered wood furniture and decorative objects of astonishing quality. Lacquer is a clear wood finish derived from tree sap that acts as a preserver. Lacquer can be colored with pigments. Multiple layers of lacquer can be carved, and it can also be inlaid with precious stones and metals. A fine example of the lacquer work likely produced by the Orchard Factory is a Ming-era folding chair dating from the mid-sixteenth century, now at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The folding chair, used by Chinese emperors while traveling, is ornately decorated with stylized dragon and lotus flower motifs.