Lacquer from Rhus Vernicifera – Urushi

Description
Lacquerware (漆器shikki) is a Japanese craft with a wide range of fine and decorative arts, as lacquer has been used in urushi-eprints, and on a wide variety of objects from Buddha statues to bento boxes for food. The characteristic of Japanese lacquerware is the diversity of lacquerware using a decoration technique called maki-e (蒔絵) in which metal powder is sprinkled to attach to lacquer. The invention of various maki-e techniques in Japanese history expanded artistic expression, and various tools and works of art such as inro are highly decorative. A number of terms are used in Japanese to refer to lacquerwareShikki (漆器) means "lacquer ware" in the most literal sense, while nurimono (塗物) means "coated things", and urushi-nuri (漆塗) means "lacquer coating." The terms related to lacquer or lacquerware such as "Japanning", "Urushiol" and "maque" which means lacquer in Mexican Spanish, are derived from Japanese lacquerware.
Black · Brown · Red