| | Wajima is a small and quiet coastal town on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. In Japan and abroad Wajima is famous for its very high quality lacquerware. Today, people from all over the world come to Wajima to study this craft and hone their skills. It seems like the production of lacquerware in Wajima started in the Muromachi period (1333-1573) but the present techniques were developed during the Edo period [1]. Due to its location and climate, Wajima has easy access to the raw materials necessary for lacquerware such as cypress trees, lacquer trees and jinoko powder [2]. This probably contributed to this craft being handed down over generations and still being thriving today. Making a piece of lacquerware is a painstaking process. Typically, to make a simple bowl takes about six months and involves over 100 different steps. One single piece is usually handled by different craftsmen, each specialized in one field: shaping the wood, applying the lacquer, or decorating [3]. A few different things make Wajima-nuri unique. One of them is the use of a cloth wrapped around the fragile parts of the piece to make it stronger. |
Then, the lacquering process involves the use of Wajima jinoko (a local sedimentary rock that is fired then grounded into a powder) mixed with lacquer to form a durable coating. Through multiple layers of coating, the shape is refined and the piece becomes more resistant [4].
While walking around Wajima and hopping from one lacquerware shop to another, I encountered the work of Katsuji Kamata at the Utsuwa Waichi gallery. The shop owner explained to me that this craftsman uses cotton cloth as a base instead of wood. This results in beautiful asymmetrical shapes that are very soft and have a mat finish. These pieces were absolutely stunning, a gorgeous modern take on this traditional craft.
If you have a chance to go to Wajima, I highly recommend going to the Lacquerware Museum to understand all the different steps involved in the production of Wajima-nuri, and then to wander around the lacquerware district next to the morning market.
[1]. An iintroduction on Wajima lacquerware and its history.
[2] & [3]. A brief introduction on the Wajima Lacquerware Museum's website.
[4]. A description of the different steps.
While walking around Wajima and hopping from one lacquerware shop to another, I encountered the work of Katsuji Kamata at the Utsuwa Waichi gallery. The shop owner explained to me that this craftsman uses cotton cloth as a base instead of wood. This results in beautiful asymmetrical shapes that are very soft and have a mat finish. These pieces were absolutely stunning, a gorgeous modern take on this traditional craft.
If you have a chance to go to Wajima, I highly recommend going to the Lacquerware Museum to understand all the different steps involved in the production of Wajima-nuri, and then to wander around the lacquerware district next to the morning market.
[1]. An iintroduction on Wajima lacquerware and its history.
[2] & [3]. A brief introduction on the Wajima Lacquerware Museum's website.
[4]. A description of the different steps.