Hida Shunkei Lacquer Ware Japanese cypress, sawara cypress and horse chestnut are just a few of the woods used for this distinctive lacquer ware. The wood is well seasoned for a period of five to six years before being made up by specialist woodworkers. The piece is then handed to the lacquerer, who coats it with several different layers of natural lacquer, to complete a process of lacquering which, from start to finish, takes three to four months. But it is the repeated applications of this natural tree sap, which lead to the completion of an extremely appealing and robust form of lacquer ware. This page uses QuickTime. To download click on the icon. Stage One Wood: After a period of natural seasoning outside, the wood is converted into boards. Stage two Natural Seasoning: Having stacked the boards and naturally seasoned them, a further period of seasoning takes place in a wood warehouse. Stage Three Click on the picture for QuickTime Movie Conversion: The seasoned boards are cut to the required size. Stage Four Woodwork: The making of different types of work is handled by specialists craftsmen. Such things as stationary boxes and flower vases are made from boards, which are split by an expert to produce components of the required dimensions. Articles such as trays and stacking boxes are made from boards which are literally peeled apart. The boards are processed and then glued with an animal glue, because natural lacquer will not take if a chemically based adhesive is used. A bentwood specialist makes trays, inkstone boxes and other articles that can be simply formed by bending boards using a roller. An animal glue is then used to join the boards and the junction is strengthened with bark from the wild cherry. Some items such as trays, candy bowls and coasters are turned from boards on a lathe, once again by a specialist. Stage Five Filling: It is now the job of the lacquerer to fill or stop the grain of the wooden carcass with a very fine clay. This is done to ensure the lacquer takes evenly and the successful application of color. This stage of the work is the most important of the whole production process as it ensures an even, stable ground to which the lacquer is applied. Stage Six Coloring: The wood is stained a pale yellow or red. Stage Seven Undercoat: Soya beans, which have been boiled in water, are ground down and strained. Two or three coats of the drained liquid are then applied to from a membrane and to prevent the natural lacquer from sinking into the wood too quickly. Stage Eight Smoothing: The surfaces of the wooden carcass are now sandpapered. Stage Nine Rubbing in the Lacquer: Some raw lacquer mixed with perilla oil are now rubbed into the surface of the wood before any excess is wiped off with a cloth and the remaining lacquer is allowed to soak in. Repeating this process produces a hard, transparent surface. Stage Ten Click on the picture for QuickTime Movie Top Coat: Using a personal blend, the lacquerer now applies a finishing top coat of transparent lacquer. It is processed from raw lacquer by means that are kept secret and handed down from one generation to the next. Immense care is take to make sure the top coat is not blemished by even the smallest speck of dirt or fluff. The type of lacquer, which is used, will also depend on the time of year and the day to day variations in temperature and humidity. The processing of lacquer depends on how it is to be used. One of the processes involves putting some raw lacquer into a shallow wooden container and stirring it. This evenly distributes the components of the lacquer and produces fine particles. This process is called nayashi. Next, to evaporate the moisture trapped in the lacquer, it is held at a temperature of below 40°C. This process is called kurome. Finally, the processed lacquer is filtered to remove any impurities. Stage Eleven Drying: Pieces are now placed in furo or a large drying chamber and thoroughly dried under suitably humid conditions.