Japanese Lacquer: Maki-e, Urushi and How to Care for It
Lacquer is among Japan's oldest arts. Its material, urushi, is the sap of the lacquer tree, applied in many thin coats, each one cured and polished before the next. The result is a hard, deep, lustrous surface that can last for centuries. On that surface Japanese artists developed maki-e, sprinkled pictures, in which gold and silver powders are scattered into wet lacquer to form images.
Maki-e techniques
- Hiramaki-e. Flat maki-e. The design is drawn in lacquer, sprinkled with metal powder, then sealed and lightly polished.
- Takamaki-e. Raised maki-e. The design is built up in relief with lacquer and powder before the gold is applied, giving mountains, rocks and figures a sculpted depth.
- Togidashi maki-e. Burnished maki-e. The design is covered with further layers of lacquer, then polished back until it appears flush with the surface, like a picture beneath glass.
- Nashiji. Pear-skin ground. Irregular flakes of gold suspended in translucent lacquer, often used inside boxes.
- Raden. Mother-of-pearl inlay, cut into shapes and set into the lacquer.
- Chinkin. Lines engraved into the lacquer and filled with gold leaf, a speciality of Wajima.
Makers and centres
From the Muromachi period, hereditary workshops such as the Kōami and Igarashi families made lacquer for the shoguns and great lords. In the nineteenth century Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891) brought fresh wit and invented new surfaces, imitating iron, bronze and wood in lacquer. Regional centres each developed a character: Wajima on the Noto peninsula, known for its strong layered base; Kyoto, for refined maki-e; and Aizu, Yamanaka and Kagawa for their own styles.
Lacquer for the world
Japanese lacquer reached Europe early. In the late sixteenth century, Kyoto workshops made Namban lacquer for Portuguese clients, dense with mother-of-pearl and gold. Later the Dutch traded lacquer cabinets and boxes, and lacquer became so prized that japanning became the English word for imitating it. In the Meiji era lacquer again appeared at the world exhibitions.
Real urushi or resin
Since the mid-twentieth century many affordable wares have been made with plastic bases and synthetic coatings. They can be attractive but are not urushi lacquer.
- Real urushi feels warm and slightly soft to the touch and has a depth that synthetic coatings lack.
- Look at chips or wear on the edges. Urushi shows layers of material over wood or cloth; plastic shows a uniform body.
- Lightweight pieces with mould lines are usually resin.
- Boxes and labels may name the material. 漆 means urushi; ウレタン means urethane.
Caring for lacquer
Urushi is very durable, but it has two enemies: ultraviolet light and extreme dryness. Sunlight fades and dulls lacquer over time, and dry heat can crack the wood beneath.
- Display out of direct sun and away from radiators and air-conditioning outlets.
- Dust with a soft, dry cloth. For lacquer tableware, wash briefly in lukewarm water and dry at once.
- Never use a dishwasher or microwave, and avoid abrasive cleaners.
- Store fine pieces in their wooden box, wrapped in soft cloth.