Murakami Kibori Tsuishu is lacquerware made in Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture. Delicate carving is applied to a wooden base of Japanese bigleaf magnolia (ho), Japanese horse chestnut (tochi), katsura, or similar woods, and natural lacquer is then applied over it again and again to finish it. Tsuishu (carved red lacquer) is originally a technique of Chinese origin in which patterns are carved into thickly built-up layers of red lacquer, but in Murakami the distinctive feature is that the wooden base itself is carved before the lacquer is applied. Its origin is said to date back about 600 years, when lacquer craftsmen who came from Kyoto to build temples passed on the techniques. In the Edo period, samurai of the Murakami domain learned carving from master craftsmen, and with the encouragement of successive domain lords, the craft spread from the samurai to the townspeople. Representative tsuishu is characterized by a calm surface texture achieved by giving the red top coat a matte finish, and the red grows more vivid with the passing years. Today, six techniques, including tsuishu, tsuikoku, and shudame-nuri, are collectively called Murakami Kibori Tsuishu. It was designated a Niigata Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property in 1955 and a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in February 1976.
Origin
Lacquer craftsmanship in Murakami is said to have been started about 600 years ago by lacquer craftsmen who came from Kyoto to build temples. It is said that a technique begun in the early 15th century by Kyoto lacquerware artisans, who imitated Chinese tsuishu by applying lacquer over wood carving, was brought to the Murakami area on the occasion of temple construction. Murakami has been known as a producer of natural lacquer since the Heian period, and it is also home to Urushiyama Shrine, said to be the only one of its kind in Japan. The region's wealth of high-quality lacquer also provided the ground for the technique to take root.
History
In the Edo period, as castles and samurai residences were developed, woodworkers were invited from Kyoto and carving techniques were refined. In the Kyoho era (1716–1736), domain lord Naito Kazunobu encouraged carved lacquer crafts, and Tongu Jirobei, a domain samurai stationed in Edo, learned carving from master craftsmen and spread it within the domain. Later, Ariso Shusai worked to improve craftsmanship and expand sales channels, and he is said to have laid the foundations of Murakami lacquerware. It was designated a Niigata Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property in 1955 and a national Traditional Craft in 1976.
Features
Its greatest characteristic is the way precise carving of the wooden base and the lacquering techniques that set it off come together as one. Carving techniques such as 'hikisage-bori' and 'shishiai-bori' are used, and only natural lacquer is applied, coat after coat. Representative tsuishu uses a relatively hard lacquer, and after the red top coat, the gloss is removed to give a calm surface texture. Production is divided among three specialties, wood-base makers (kijishi), carvers (horishi), and lacquerers (nushi), and a piece is completed after going through some 18 to 20 processes, from making the wooden base to finishing.
Techniques
Tsuishu
The representative technique of Murakami Kibori Tsuishu, in which the carved wooden base is coated with layers of lacquer and, after the red top coat, finished with the gloss removed. Over the years, the red changes to take on a translucent, glowing quality.
Tsuikoku and shudame-nuri
Tsuikoku is a technique that uses black lacquer from the undercoat onward and is polished to a calm black finish. Shudame-nuri involves evenly applying tame-urushi (translucent lacquer) over the entire piece 2 to 3 times after the tsuishu process and polishing it; the red brightens over time.
Gold-burnished lacquer, colored lacquer, and three-color carving
Gold-burnished lacquer is a technique in which gold leaf is laid over colored lacquer, more colored lacquer is applied, and the surface is then polished to reveal the gold as if scattered. Colored lacquer (iro-urushi-nuri) involves applying different colored lacquers according to the pattern. In three-color carving (sansai-bori), layers of red, yellow, and green colored lacquer are applied, followed by black, and carving is then done over them.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Making the wooden base
The wood-base maker shapes the vessel from woods such as Japanese bigleaf magnolia or Japanese horse chestnut.
- 2
Drawing the design
A preliminary sketch of the pattern to be carved is drawn on the wooden base.
- 3
Wood carving
The carver carves out the pattern with carving knives.
- 4
Applying the foundation (sabitsuke)
Sabi-urushi (a lacquer foundation paste) is applied as a base to prepare the surface.
- 5
Middle and top coats
The lacquerer applies layer upon layer of lacquer and finishes with a top coat of red or other colors.
- 6
Removing the gloss
The gloss of the top coat is removed to give a calm surface texture.
- 7
Kebori and finishing
Kebori, the engraving of fine lines, is added, and the piece is finished.
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Artisans & Workshops
堆朱のふじい（藤井漆工株式会社）
A workshop in Kajimachi, Murakami City, that makes and sells Murakami Kibori Tsuishu. It employs craftsmen in each of the three specialties of wood base, carving, and lacquering, and in addition to making products, it also handles repairs and recoating of lacquerware.
Official site →How to Buy
- 村上木彫堆朱会館
- An exhibition and sales facility within the Murakami Tsuishu Business Cooperative, with free admission. It offers vases, trays, confectionery containers, tea ceremony utensils such as incense containers (kogo) and tea caddies (natsume), tableware, stationery, and accessories, and it also displays production materials and tools.Where to buy →PR
- URUSHI OHTAKI（ウルシオータキ）
- A lacquer workshop in Kamikatamachi, Murakami City, founded in the Taisho period as Ohtaki Lacquerware Shop. It handles Murakami Kibori Tsuishu and colorful modern lacquerware, with items across a wide price range, from small goods under 2,000 yen to works over 60,000 yen.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
村上木彫堆朱会館（木彫体験）
新潟県村上市松原町3-1-17
An experience in which you carve a pattern with carving knives into a wooden chopstick blank with a sketch already drawn on it, for around 800 yen (about 1 hour). Lacquer finishing by a craftsman and shipping cost an additional charge of around 1,200 yen. Weekdays only; reserve by phone at least one week in advance.
View details →URUSHI OHTAKI（箸の漆塗り体験）
新潟県村上市上片町2-32
An experience of lacquering your own original chopsticks with colored lacquer made by kneading pigment into natural lacquer. It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, and the finished chopsticks are delivered to your home after drying. Open to children from the upper grades of elementary school and up; reservation required.
View details →FAQ
Q. What is the difference between ordinary tsuishu and Murakami Kibori Tsuishu?
A. Ordinary tsuishu is a technique in which patterns are carved out of thickly built-up layers of red lacquer. In Murakami Kibori Tsuishu, the wooden base is carved first, and lacquer is then applied over it in layers. It is said to have begun as a technique of applying lacquer to wood carving in imitation of Chinese tsuishu.
Q. Why did Murakami become a lacquerware production area?
A. Murakami has been known as a producer of natural lacquer since the Heian period, and in the mid-Edo period a lacquer magistrate (urushi bugyo) was appointed and lacquer production was industrialized. By the mid-Meiji period, its lacquer output is said to have become the largest in Japan, and this abundant lacquer has supported lacquerware making.