Ouchi-nuri (Ouchi lacquerware) is lacquerware made mainly in Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Over a base coat of deep vermilion known as 'Ouchi-shu' (Ouchi vermilion), autumn grasses such as bush clover (hagi) and Japanese pampas grass (susuki) are painted in colored lacquer. A further characteristic is the Ouchi-bishi (the Ouchi diamond crest), the family crest of the Ouchi clan, rendered in gold leaf within cloud shapes. The Ouchi clan, which was based in Yamaguchi in the Muromachi period, treated lacquerware as an important item in its trade with the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere. In the Edo period, too, bowls and trays continued to be made in Ushirogawara in Yamaguchi. In the Meiji era, lacquerware production flourished using as a model a Muromachi-period bowl discovered by the local historian Kondo Kiyoshi (近藤清石), and the craft has been handed down under the name 'Ouchi-nuri'. In April 1989 (Heisei 1), it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. In addition to trays, bowls, chopsticks and inkstone boxes, a signature product is the Ouchi doll (Ouchi ningyo), a round husband-and-wife pair of hina dolls. In Yamaguchi City, visitors can try activities such as making accessories using Ouchi-nuri techniques.
Origin
The origins of Ouchi-nuri are unclear. From the mid-14th century, Yamaguchi became the base of the Ouchi clan and prospered through town planning modeled on Kyoto. Records of trade between the Ouchi clan and Joseon Korea include lacquerware. A document in which the Ouchi clan set the fee for lacquering sword scabbards (saya) also survives, suggesting that lacquer work was being carried out. However, the place where the lacquerware of that time was produced is not recorded. There is also a tradition that the craft began when Ouchi Hiroyo invited lacquer craftsmen from Kyoto.
History
When the Mori clan moved its base to Hagi, lacquerware in Yamaguchi is said to have declined for a time. Even so, in the Edo period, bowls and trays for the domain's official use, as well as simple round trays for ordinary people, were made in Ushirogawara-machi in Yamaguchi. The Bocho Fudo Chushin-an, a topographical record compiled at the end of the Edo period, notes that there were 30 bowl makers (wan-ya) in the town of Yamaguchi. In the Meiji era, Kondo Kiyoshi found the 'Ouchi Sennin-wan' (Ouchi thousand-person bowls) handed down in the Mori family and had the scabbard maker (sayashi) Iwamoto Umenoshin make reproductions. This prompted lacquerware modeled on the Ouchi bowls to flourish as a renowned product of Yamaguchi. On April 11, 1989 (Heisei 1), it was designated a national Traditional Craft.
Features
Ouchi-nuri is known for its design of autumn grasses painted on a vermilion ground made with bengara (red iron oxide), with the gold-leaf Ouchi-bishi placed on cloud shapes. Because lacquer is applied in many layers, it is said to be durable and resistant to fading. In the early Showa period, lacquered serving trays (zen) and bowls called 'Ouchi Kaiseki' were made for nearby farming villages. After World War II, gift items such as inkstone boxes, tanzaku (poem card) hangers, chopsticks and dolls became the mainstay. Today Ouchi dolls and chopsticks are the main products, and trays, husband-and-wife chopstick pairs (meoto-bashi) and accessories are also made.
Techniques
Urushi-e (lacquer painting)
A technique in which a brush is loaded with colored lacquer to paint patterns such as flowers and grasses on the surface of a vessel. In Ouchi-nuri, autumn grasses such as bush clover and susuki are painted in colored lacquer on a vermilion ground. In the survey conducted toward designation as a Traditional Craft, the lacquer painting on the Edo-period 'Sesshu-bon' (Sesshu tray) handed down at Enryu-ji Temple (円龍寺) in Yamaguchi was regarded as important as a basic technique of Ouchi-nuri.
Hakuoshi (gold-leaf application) and the Ouchi pattern
A technique in which diamond-shaped pieces of gold leaf are applied over painted cloud shapes to represent the Ouchi-bishi pattern. The Ouchi-bishi is a pattern derived from the family crest of the Ouchi clan, and diamond-shaped gold leaf can also be seen on the Muromachi-period Ouchi bowl that Kondo Kiyoshi discovered. The 'Ouchi pattern' (Ouchi moyo), which combines lacquer painting and gold-leaf application, was listed as one of the main techniques in the application for Traditional Craft designation.
Undercoating and top coating
A foundation (shitaji) is applied to the wooden core, and lacquer is applied in layers to finish it. Historical materials on Ouchi-nuri show shibu-shitaji, a foundation using persimmon tannin (kakishibu), and honkataji, in which lacquer mixed with clay powder is applied in layers. For the top coat, hana-nuri, which is left as painted, and roiro-nuri, which is ground and polished to bring out a luster, are used.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
桑原大内塗大内人形製作所
A maker and seller of Ouchi-nuri and Ouchi dolls founded in 1933 (Showa 8), located on the Dojomonzen shopping street in Dojomonzen 1-chome, Yamaguchi City. In the shop's workshop, visitors can watch the decoration process of Ouchi-nuri, and products are also sold directly at the shop. It is about an 8-minute walk from JR Yamaguchi Station.
Official site →中村民芸社
An Ouchi-nuri workshop and shop at 4138 Ouchi-Mihori, Yamaguchi City. It makes Ouchi dolls, Ouchi-nuri lacquerware, and lacquered goods and accessories, and also accepts custom orders. It is open on weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00 and is often closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, so contacting it before visiting is recommended.
Official site →How to Buy
- 桑原大内塗大内人形製作所 (online shop)
- The online shop of 桑原大内塗大内人形製作所, which carries items such as an Ouchi-nuri kodaka bunko (a document box with a raised lid; about 120,000 yen) and Ouchi dolls by size number. Many items are out of stock, and notices of price revisions due to rising material costs have been posted, so it is best to check stock and prices before purchasing.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
中村民芸社（大内塗アクセサリー作り体験）
山口県山口市大内御堀4138
An experience in which you make earrings (clip-on or pierced) or key chains using Ouchi-nuri techniques. You choose parts coated with colored lacquer, apply gold leaf wherever you like and attach the fittings. The fee is about 3,000 yen per person, and it takes about 1 hour. It is held once a day from 13:00 with a capacity of 3 people, and reservations are required at least 3 days in advance. You can take your work home the same day.
View details →山口ふるさと伝承総合センター（大内塗の箸づくり）
山口県山口市下竪小路12
You can try making Ouchi-nuri chopsticks at 'Takumi-kan' (たくみ館). You finish your own original chopsticks by applying gold leaf and other decoration to lacquered chopsticks. The fee is about 2,000 yen, and if the chopsticks are mailed after drying, shipping is charged separately. As a rule, it is held on weekdays from 10:00 to 15:30, and reservations are required by the day before. It takes 30 minutes to 1 hour.
View details →FAQ
Q. What is Ouchi-bishi?
A. It is a diamond-shaped pattern derived from the family crest of the Ouchi clan. In Ouchi-nuri, it is represented by applying diamond-shaped gold leaf within cloud shapes. The design can also be seen on the Muromachi-period Ouchi bowls reproduced in the Meiji era, and it has been handed down as the pattern that symbolizes Ouchi-nuri.
Q. What is the difference between Ouchi-nuri and Ouchi dolls?
A. Ouchi dolls are a round husband-and-wife pair of hina dolls finished with Ouchi-nuri techniques. When Ouchi-nuri was designated a Traditional Craft in 1989, the dolls were also included among the designated items. Today, Ouchi dolls are the main product of Ouchi-nuri. The origins of the dolls and where to buy them are introduced in the article on Ouchi dolls.