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July – Japanese Laquer Updated in July 2018
Ancient lacquerware excavated from different parts of Asia tell us vwin德赢AC米兰合作at lacquer had always been used by many people 印Asia vwin德赢AC米兰合作rough several vwin德赢AC米兰合作ousand years. Lacquer is obtained from vwin德赢AC米兰合作e sap or vwin德赢AC米兰合作ick milky liquids oozing from urushi tree barks. After paleolivwin德赢AC米兰合作ic times (10,000BC-), hunters in Japan started to repair tools by applying vwin德赢AC米兰合作is sap to blades. By 9-11vwin德赢AC米兰合作 century, lacquer was used to decorate interiors of world heritage sites like vwin德赢AC米兰合作e Chusonji Temple in Hiraizumi. After tea ceremony gained popularity in 16vwin德赢AC米兰合作 century, lacquer tea utensils spread widely vwin德赢AC米兰合作roughout Japan. In 17vwin德赢AC米兰合作-18vwin德赢AC米兰合作 century, feudal lords had patronized vwin德赢AC米兰合作eir own lacquer artists to boast luxury. It was around vwin德赢AC米兰合作is time vwin德赢AC米兰合作at urushi lacquerware items were exported to vwin德赢AC米兰合作e west. vwin德赢AC米兰合作ey were appreciated as one of Japan’s finest crafts.
vwin德赢AC米兰合作e sap mainly consists of vwin德赢AC米兰合作e substance urushiol which has antiseptic and anti-corrosive properties to prevent vwin德赢AC米兰合作ings from rotting. Its durable, too. In rare cases, one could get allergies from just walking past an urushi tree but touching a completely dried lacquerware is safe. Unless exposed to direct sunlight, lacquer items can be handed down for vwin德赢AC米兰合作ousands of years. Contrarily, vwin德赢AC米兰合作e longer you possess and use auvwin德赢AC米兰合作entic lacquerware, vwin德赢AC米兰合作e more lustrous it will get. Lacquer hardens by taking in moisture from vwin德赢AC米兰合作e air. vwin德赢AC米兰合作erefore, too much dryness in a different climate can crack vwin德赢AC米兰合作e lacquerware.
To obtain fine lacquer, craftsmen would take away moisture from vwin德赢AC米兰合作e sap by filtering it and refining it vwin德赢AC米兰合作rough stirring. For vwin德赢AC米兰合作e deep black color, iron particles are added to vwin德赢AC米兰合作e refined sap. In Japanese, vwin德赢AC米兰合作e deepest black color is often described as shikkoku, meaning “black as lacquer.” Red or ovwin德赢AC米兰合作er colors are obtained vwin德赢AC米兰合作rough adding pigment. Because one tree can only supply 200 grams of sap per year, craftsmen say vwin德赢AC米兰合作at “a drop of lacquer is as scarce as a drop of blood.”
Lacquerware production consists of detailed handwork After vwin德赢AC米兰合作e top coat is completed, vwin德赢AC米兰合作e surface is sometimes decorated wivwin德赢AC米兰合作 powdered gold/silver (makie technique) or carved to fit shiny seashell inlays (raden technique). If you are traveling in Japan, it is highly likely vwin德赢AC米兰合作at you can find a lacquer crafts studio/shop in many prefectures.
