DESIGN
TAKAOKA LACQUER WARE CO.,LTD
In manufacturing Urushi art priming. or the preliminary coasting,is first laid on the base, and over this other coatings of lacquer are applied.The decorations,if any,are then added.
Lacquer Ware
Artistic City Of Takaoka,Japan
Lacquer ware is said to have been introduced into Japan over one thousand years ago.When the word"Japan"is used with a capital "J,"the meaning is,Of course,the country of Japan.However,if the word is used with a small"j,"it means"lacquer"or"lacquering."Nowadays,lacquer ware made in Japan has become so artistic as to represent the beauty of Japan.Among others,Takaoka is one of the leading production centers in Japan,featuring such works as"Cho^koku-nuri(engraving lacquering),""Yu^suke-nuri(Yu^suke lacquering)"and"Aogai-nuri(inlaid mother of pearl lacquering)."Takaoka Lacquer Ware especially shows surpassing beauty in its inlaid mother of pearl work-with landscapes,flowers and birds combined in it.
The 400year history and traditon continues to cause Takaoka Lancquer Ware to flourish.
385 years ago in the Keicho era,Takaoka Lacquer Ware originated from the plebeian arts and crafts.Later in the Meiwa era(about 1770),lacquer ware artisans from Takaoka modeled their works after Chinese pieces,yhus pioneerring a new field in Takaoka Lacquer Ware.They made wooden trays and nests of wooden boxes with arabesque patterns in relief.This exquisite skill is seen on the seven floats of the Takaoka Float Festival(held every May1).These have been designated as important national and cultural assets in the field of folk arts and crafts.From the last days of the Tokugawa government to theMeijiera,the sikill of "Yu^suke lacquering"was created.This was inlaid mother of pearl work with a good combination of landscapes,flowers and birds painted on it,using rust and lacquer."Cho^koku-nuri or engraving lacquering,"a skill created inthe midMeiji era has an elegant and unique appearnce from the Kamakura period.This skill has produced diversified pieces such as trays,tea utensils,householed implements and so on.This skill won the national designation of "The Traditional Industrial Art"in 1975.
