Rustic red
Negoro refers to rustic and simple lacquerware that has been coated with black lacquer (urushi) and then layered with a topcoat of red lacquer (urushi). Items often made using this technique include tables, trays and bowls. This lacquering style was originally applied to utensils used by monks in training at Negoro-ji, a Zen temple that prospered from the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE) to the Muromachi period (approx. 1336-1573 CE). Negoro lacquerware offers an ever-changing beauty. Over the years, as it is used, the red lacquer fades to gradually reveal the black lacquer beneath.