URUSHI TECHNIQUES - SUGANO KAORI

Kanshitsu

Kanshitsu is a dry urushi substrate.

Successive sheets of hemp cloths are pasted over a mould with nori-urushi - mixture of urushi and rice paste - or a similar adhesive.

Once the desired thickness has been obtained, the fabric form is removed from the mould and lacquered. This method allows a high degree of flexibility in the creation of different shapes.

I usually make moulds by gypsum.

The following photo is the progress. The left is a box and the right is the top.

Rantai

Rantai is a Woven bamboo substrate.

Bamboo is split into very thin strips and woven.

Depending on the effect required, the woven pattern may be left visible or hidden by the application of a smooth foundation layer. Since the bark of bamboo repels urushi, it has to be removed as part of the preparation process.

Joutai

It's a kind of Kanshitsu. Strings of hemp or cotton are used instead of cloths of hemp.

More urushi is needed because earth powder is hardly used, and almost it is molded with urushi and strings only. Though the processes is less than that of Kanshitsu.

Choshitsu

Choshitsu is a Cavred urushi decoration.

Repeated application of coloured urushi is used to build up a solid layer (100 applications give a thickness of 3 mm), then it's carved to express a polychrome design. When only red urushi is used with this technique is called Tsuishu (red-urushi carved), and when only black lacquer is used, it is called Tsuikoku (black-urushi carved).

Kinma

Kinma is an Incised and colour-filled decoration.

This technique is not dissimilar to chinkin (incised and gold-filled decoration).

The main difference being that colored urushi rather than gold is used to fill the incised lines, after the surface is polished to make it flat and even.

The technique was imported from Thailand and was perfected by Tamakaji Zokoku (1805-1869) in the late Edo period.

The historically designs were created with yellow and red urushi applied to fine line engraving on a black ground. As growing availability of artificial pigments, the development of dot and flat engraving techniques have allowed contemporary artists to explore new and subtler forms of expression.

Zonsei

Zonsei is a Painted and engraved decoration.

This work combines painting in colored-urushi with the incising of outlines and details such as veins of leaves. Often the incised lines are applied Chinkin.

Saihi

A kind of Choshitsu.

Generally yellow layers and orange layers are piled alternately and the surpace is a black/amber layer.

Then patterns of geometrical style are carved there.

It is thought that this technique was intensively made only in the Sung age of China.

There are roughly three kinds.

The first is the above-mentioned one.

The second is the one in black and orange layer.

The third is addition of green urushi layer besides orange, black, and yellow layers.

Abstract patterns combined with heart shapes and arabesque patterns are general.

However, there are rare pieces which patterns of flower and bird are carved.

Saihi Incense case, Saihi Tray, An enlarged part.

Reference: "Choshitsu of China Song age"(Japanese).

Raden

Raden is "Shells inlay".

This is one of Makie techniques.

A shell, especially mother-of-pearl, inlay technique commonly used for urushi.

Shells are worn down into several thickness on a whetstone or grinder and cut into shapes, then pasted or inlayed on a wood or urushi surface, and polished.

The technique used pearl-like parts of such shells as oumugai -pearly nautilus, yakougai-turban shell/lunica marmorata, awabigai -abalone or aogai -blue shell, chougai -pearl oyster, and shijimigai -corbicula.

Chinkin

Chinkin in an Incised and gold-filled decoration.

The surface is engraved with special blades and urushi is rubbed into the incised lines as an adhesive for the gold leaf that is then applied. Excess leaf is removed so that the gold remains only in the incised lines. Gold powder is sometimes used in place of gold leaf.

Hira-Makie

Hira-Makie is a Flat sprinkled picture decoration.

This is one of Makie techniques.

Finely textured metal powders are sprinkled on to motifs drawn in urushi on the upper urushi layer. This is consolidated by the application of a further coat of urushi followed by polishing.

Togidashi-Makie

Togidashi-Makie is a Polished sprinkled picture decoration.

This is one of Makie techniques.

After polishing of the middle urushi layer, roughly textured metal powder is sprinkled on to a design drawn with urushi. This is allowed to harden before urushi is applied so as to completely cover the design.

When this has hardened the surface is polished with charcoal so that the design emerges flush with the urushi surface.

Tamenuri

This is a technique for painting transparent urushi(Suki-urushi) on vermilion layer.

It becomes a color like red brown if the Suki-urushi was painted on a vermilion layer. Because the Suki-urushi is like an amber color.

The vermilion color becomes vivid as for the edge on which Suki-urushi is thinly painted, and the part thick painted becomes a color near brown.

The Suki-urushi dries to brown first.

Then it will change into light-brown with a transparent feeling after several weeks.

This is my work of Tamenuri.

I applied a red-urushi under the Suki-urushi.