Kinma of urushi (lacquer)

Kinma

It is a technique that fills the carved grooves with colored urushi (lacquer), allowing free expression like a painting.

Contents for this article

Description

This is a technique in which the surface of urushi, which has been applied 10 times, is carved with a kinama-ken (carving knife), and the carved grooves are filled with colored urushi. Then, after polishing with charcoal to flatten it out, the shape of the pattern appears.
This technique was introduced from Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, etc.) and became popular in Kagawa Prefecture after the end of the Edo period (1603-1868).[1]
There are roughly two types of carving: line carving and dot carving, and it is necessary to prepare those types of kinma-ken (carving knife).

Line engraving

Dot engraving

Coarse dot engraving

Six knives on the left for dot engraving, two in the center for chinkin knives, and three on the right for line engraving

Work procedure

kinma description, Japanese urushi (lacquer)

	This is illustrated with an example that combines a large area pattern and a line engraving pattern.

1.	Apply 10 or more coats of black urushi.
2.	Engrave the large area.

3.	Fill in colored urushi. (Apply several coats until the indentation is filled.)

4.	Polish it flat with charcoal.

5.	Engrave the line pattern.

6.	Fill in colored urushi. (Apply several coats until the indentation is filled.)

7.	Polish it flat with charcoal.

8.	Apply several thin coats of urushi and polish to finish.

Polishing with charcoal
(from a catalog of Kagawa Urushi Lacquerware Institute[2])

Kinma in Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia and India, there is a custom of wrapping betel palm nuts and shell ash in the leaves of a tree called kinma, which is chewed as a delicacy. The lacquerware used to hold the complete set of betel nuts and its decorative techniques were also called "kinma," and the kinma container became an important sign of social status. It also became one of the most important items for a betrothal gift. The body was made of a basket made of woven bamboo strips. Bamboo wood is elastic, does not deform due to humidity, and is light and strong.
It was introduced to Japan in the middle of the Muromachi period (around the 15th century) and was used as an incense container mainly by tea ceremony masters.
Image "Kinma Box with Birds and Animals" (Cultural Heritage Online)

Kinma in Japan

The first Japanese kinma was created in the late Edo period (1603-1868) by Zokoku Tamakaji in Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref. He studied and imitated pieces of kinma from Southeast Asia. Once discontinued, it was revived about 100 years later by Joshin Isoi, who replaced it with Japanese patterns.
With the development of pigments, today's works are often colorful and painterly.

"Colored Kinma Box for Papers and Inkstone" by Zokoku Tamakaji
(from a catalog of Kagawa Urushi Lacquerware Institute)

Kagawa Pref. has five Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage (Living National Treasures) for the kinma technique so far: Joshin Isoi, Masami Isoi, Hitoshi Ota, Yoshito Yamashita, Yayato Otani.