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| DECORATION DECORATION MAKIE TECHNIQUE HAKUE / GILDING TECHNIQUE INLAY TECHNIQUE SAISHITU / COLOURED URUSHI TECHNIQUE |
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| DECORATION Depending on the local situation and the history many unique decoration techniques have been developed. Followings are the most representative authentic decoration techniques. The pattern of design is a traditional variation of cherry blossoms. It is important to have proper knowledge of the combination of Japanese traditional designs and decoration techniques, especially when restoring old urushi objects. | ||
 Fig. D1 material for makie ; metal grains and powders |
MAKIE TECHNIQUE Makie is the technique which is presumed to be developed in the Nara period (710-784) and it is indigenous to Japan. The first documentation on the word makie originates from the year 774. The 'maki ' of makie came from a verb 'maku 'meaning 'to sprinkle' and 'e ' meaning 'painting'. Gold and silver metal powder and grains are sprinkled on the urushi and this technique allows drawing fine designs. In some cases the surface is whetted after the urushi has dried. There are different techniques for makie , which are: hira-makie , togidashi-makie , taka-makie , shishiai-togidashi-makie and some other variations. Metals occurs in different sorts, shapes and sizes: gold with a range of different colours, silver, platinum, tin and alloys of gold and silver. There are round, half-round and flat grains and square or patterned flakes in many different sizes. |
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 Fig. D2 hira-makie technique |
Fig. D2 Hira-makie is sprinkling metal powder or grains, sticking them onto the surface, using the adhesive ability of urushi. For sprinkling metal powders puffy raw silk threads are used while for grains a thin bamboo cylinder filter is used. In some cases hira-makie parts are whetted or polished after drying. | |
 Fig. D3 taka-makie technique |
Fig. D3 Taka-makie is a kind of relief combined with the hira-makie technique. The base of the relief is made with charcoal powder or
e-urushi. |
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 Fig. D4 togidashi-makie technique |
Fig. D4 Togidashi-makie is more or less same as the hira-makie technique but using bigger metal grains for sprinkling. After the metal grains are fixed properly, the whole surface is covered with urushi. When urushi is solid the surface is whetted flat and smooth, then polished. So the surface of the togidashi-makie is completely flat. |
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 Fig. D5 shishiai-togidashi-makie technique |
Fig. D5 Shishiai-togidashi-makie is a combination technique of hira-makie , togidashi-makie and taka-makie . | |
 Fig. D6 material for gilding; haku / metal leaves |
HAKUE / GILDING TECHNIQUE Fig. D6 Metal leaf is called haku and it includes gold, white-gold, palladium, platinum, silver, copper, aluminium, tin and alloys of gold and silver. Gold and silver appear in a range of shades and gold leaves can be found in different colours and thicknesses. Fig. D7 Hakue / gilding is also a suitable technique for the decoration of the urushi surface. Using the adhesive ability of urushi, the metal leaf is solidly fixed. It resists water, solvents and extreme temperatures. The whole first and second floor of the Rokuon-ji , the 'golden temple' in Kyoto are decorated using this gilding technique. Chin-kin is a variation of the gilding technique of which the working process is as following: first patterns are engraved on the urushiware; ki-urushi is then rubbed into the grooves; next, the urushi is wiped off completely; then gold leaf is gilded on the engraved pattern; and finally the remaining gold leaf on the surface is wiped off with a thin rice paper after drying. The gold leaf will only remain in the engraved lines, since it has adhered to the urushi in the grooves. Chin-kin technique came from China around the 14th century and it influenced the South-east Asian urushi technique in countries like Thailand and Myanmar. |
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 Fig. D7 gilding technique; hakue |
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 Fig. D8 material for inlay; egg shell, metal plates, shells |
INLAY TECHNIQUE Fig. D8 Thanks to the strong adhesive ability of urushi, these are able to be fixed and inlayed on urushi surface, not only light material but also thicker and heavier material. Fig. D9 Raden , this mother-of-pearl inlay is an important technique for the urushi work. It is said that this technique was developed in Japan, but it might as well originate from China. In the Nara period the raden technique was accomplished, however, nowadays the raden technique is most popular among the Korean urushiware. In old times, yakogai , the green turban shell, Lunatica marmorata, which has bluish and reddish luminescent colours, was generally used. Since Momoyama period (1568-1600) awabi , abalone is used. Since Edo period (1603-1867) chogai , the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii, which has a tranquil luminescence, is used. Shells from Mexico and New Zealand are also used. The variation of thickness vary from 0.08 - 0.1 mm (usu-gai ) to 1 - 2 mm (atsu-gai ) depending on the usage. Raden which pronunciation is 'laden' or 'laten' in earlier days refers to 'Latin', since Latin missionaries, who came to Japan in the 16th century, ordered many ritual utensils that were decorated with an abundance of mother-of-pearl. This style was considered typically Latin by the Japanese. Except for above mentioned shells, tortoiseshell taimai or bekko , horn and ray skin are used as well. Using the same technique on metal plate instead of raden is called heidatsumon , heidatsu , or hyomon and the material used is called kanagai meaning 'metal-shell'. Again the same technique on egg shell is called rankaku-nuri . |
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 Fig. D9 inlay technique |
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 Fig. D10 material for saishitsu ; pigments and kanshitsu-fun |
SAISHITSU / COLOURED URUSHI TECHNIQUE Fig. D10 Colours on the first three horizontal rows are pigments and on the bottom row are the kanshitsu-fun for saishitsu . Fig. D11 Saishitsu or saishitsu-ga is urushi painting with iro-urushi, coloured urushi. For a long time in the urushi history black, brown, red, yellow and green were the only colours that were used as iro-urushi. Black is the result of a chemical reaction between urushi and iron hydroxide. The other colours are obtained by mixing the urushi with colour pigment. Ferric oxide for brown, cinnabar for red, orpiment for yellow and a mixture of Prussian blue and orpiment for green. In the middle of the 20th century many pigments for urushi were developed and currently still new colours are full in development. Thanks to these new colour pigments for urushi, kaishitsu-fun has more variations and they are also used in coloured urushi paint. The material and techniques mentioned in this paragraph are merely a choice from a whole collection. |
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 Fig. D11 saishitsu-ga |
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