About Urushi work
漆芸（しつげい）とは、漆の木から出る樹液を器の表面に塗ったり模様を描いて作品を作る技術のことをいいます。現在では、椀や盆といった生活用品のほかに、茶道具（棗、香合）や飾箱など美しい漆芸作品がつくられています。
| What is Urushi Work? |
Uruhsi work is a technique of creating artworks by applying urushi (lacquer), a sap from the lacquer tree, on the surface of vessels or by painting patterns with it. Urushi repels water when it solidifies and creates a non-decaying film, so it has been used for daily tools since ancient times. By looking around us, we can easily find objects with urushi such as bowls, chopsticks, trays, and bento boxes, indicating how urushi works have been deeply rooted in the daily lives of the Japanese people, supporting their lifestyles and hearts. Urushi has been used as an adhesive since the Stone Age, and red lacquer painted decorations have been found at Jomon archaeological sites dating back 9000 years. Taking advantage of the characteristics of urushi, beautiful decorations with gold, silver, and shells have been created, such as boxes for important documents and clothing, musical instruments, sword scabbards, and armor. Today, in addition to everyday items like bowls and trays, beautiful urush works like tea utensils (natsume, kogo) and decorative boxes are being created.
| Making Process of Lacquerware |
① Create the shape → ② Apply urushi → ③ Complete the process as it is / Complete the process with decorative patterns
① Create the shape
Mainly wood is used as a material for items like bowls, boxes, plates, and trays. Techniques include shaping with woven bamboo, forming shapes by attaching hemp cloth or Japanese paper to a mold. Additionally, animal skins, metals, and ceramics are also used.
② Apply urushi
Applying urushi to the material of the artwork is called "kyūshitsu" It is the process of applying lacquer using a spatula or brush. By applying and polishing the urushi repeatedly, a beautiful finish is achieved.
〈Process of Kyūshitsu (lacquering)〉
1. Groundwork
① Wooden base: Carve wood to create the shape of a bowl
② Strengthening the wooden base: Apply raw urushi to strengthen the wooden base
③ Cloth attachment: Paste hemp cloth with urushi to enhance durability
④ Base coating: Apply a mixture of raw urushi and clay using a spatula or brush. After drying, repeat the polishing process multiple times.
2. Middle coating
After the base coating, apply a high-quality liquid and polish it several times to smoothen the surface.
3. Top coating
Finally, apply a top-quality lacquer that has been finely filtered through Japanese paper to avoid any debris. There are two finishing options: leaving it as applied (nuritate) or polishing it (roiro) for a different finish.
| Techniques |
Maki-e is a representative technique of urushi work that has developed uniquely in Japan and has been practiced for about 1200 years. It involves painting pictures on the surface of objects using a fine brush and sprinkling gold powder on the urushi before it solidifies to create patterns. It is called Maki-e because it means sprinkling and picturing. There are various techniques such as burnished Maki-e, flat Maki-e, and raised Maki-e.
Raden is a technique in which the sparkling parts of thinly shaved shells such as abalone, turban shells, and white butterfly shells are used for the artwork. 'Ra' refers to spiral shells, and 'Den' means decorating. Raden, or mother-of-pearl inlay, is a technique that originated from China around 1300 years ago and can be seen in the treasures of Shosoin.
After urushi application, lines and dots are carved using a knife called "nomi" or "tō". By rubbing gold leaf or fine gold powder into the carved grooves, delicate and intricate patterns can be expressed. It is a technique that originated from the mainland of China around 600 years ago.
There are three main ways to carve patterns: with lines, with dots, or a combination of both using a special carving knife called "kinma ken". Originally, only line carving was used, but by combining various colored lacquers and carving techniques, complex patterns can now be beautifully expressed. Kinma is a technique believed to have been passed on from Southeast Asia in ancient times.
By layering colored uruhsi on a base for dozens of times, a thick layers of urushi is built up. The technique of carving patterns into this layer with a carving knife is called Chōshitsu. This technique was passed on from China around 800 years ago.
A technique in which metals like gold and silver are rolled onto a thin plate and then cut into various shapes to create patterns is called Hyōmon.
A method in which finely crushed eggshells are placed on an urushi-painted surface to create patterns. This method enables to express vivid white, a color hard to achieve with colored urushi. Quail eggs are mainly used for this technique.
＜Source: "What is Traditional Kōgei? Edited by Japan Kōgei Association East Japan Branch / Published by Unsodo, P28~37>
