Browse a selection of Wajima lacquerware in this booth display.
One of Japan’s most important forms of urushi lacquerware comes from Wajima on the north-western tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Known as Wajima-nuri, it originated in the 16th century and is celebrated for both its durability and refinement. Distinctive features include the use of ji-no-ko, a fine powder made from local earth, and nuno-kise, a technique in which cloth is applied to the wooden base for added strength.
The process of woodworking, lacquering and decoration include more than one hundred steps, each carried out by specialist craftspeople. Decorative techniques include roiro, the polishing of lacquer to a deep lustre; maki-e, in which lacquered designs are sprinkled with gold or silver powder; and chinkin, where carved patterns are inlaid with gold or silver. Today, Wajima-nuri can also be found in contemporary artworks, architecture and interior design.
Urushi (lacquer)
Urushi is a natural sap harvested from the urushi tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum). From summer to early autumn, skilled tappers make incisions in the bark and carefully collect the dripping sap. A single tree yields only about 200 grams. Refined urushi forms a lustrous, resilient coating that hardens in a humid chamber known as a muro.
Its exceptional durability and beauty have made urushi a valued material since the Jōmon period (c. 14,000–300 BCE), used for tableware, ornaments, armour and architectural decoration. Today, domestic urushi accounts for only around 9% of Japan’s supply. The Agency for Cultural Affairs encourages the use of Japanese urushi for restoring Important Cultural Properties, and lacquer tree planting projects are underway across Japan to ensure sustainable production. Wajima-nuri uses both domestic and imported urushi according to the intended purpose and finish.
Support from: Hakose Junichi, Shioyasu Urushi Ware Company, Wajima Kirimoto, Wajima Museum of Urushi Art.
Photos of the booth display
Photos of the booth display: a gallery of 3 items.
