Tosa Kodai-nuri (Tosa Lacquerware)
Tosa Kodai-nuri (Tosa Lacquerware with Walnut-Shell Texture)
Tosa Kodai-nuri is a lacquerware handed down in Kochi Prefecture. Its greatest feature is the 'zaraji' pattern, a finely textured surface created by sprinkling powdered walnut shells onto a wooden base thickly coated with lacquer. It looks glossy yet subdued, and because the zaraji makes fingerprints and scratches less noticeable, it is said to be easier to care for than other lacquerware. It began in the early Meiji era and is said to have been brought by the lacquerer (nushi) Taneda Hosui, a native of Choshu (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture), who moved to Sakawa in western Tosa. The technique was established through improvements by his disciples, but after World War II it declined as plastic products took over. In 1973 (Showa 48), 池田八郎 learned the technique, named it 'Tosa Kodai-nuri' and carried it on. Today, 美禄堂 (Birokudo), a workshop in Nagahama, Kochi City, run by his son 池田泰一, is introduced as its sole successor. Each piece goes through 32 processes in all and takes more than 30 days to complete. Trays, jubako (tiered boxes), soup bowls, chopsticks and other items are made, and they can be purchased at shops in Kochi City or online.
Origin
It is said to have been started in the early Meiji era by Taneda Hosui, who was the lacquerer for the Fukao family, lords of Sakawa Castle in the Tosa domain. Hosui was from Yamaguchi Prefecture and moved from Choshu to Sakawa in western Tosa. He is said to have learned takamorie, a technique of drawing patterns by building up lacquer in relief, in Owari (present-day western Aichi Prefecture).
History
Hosui's disciples 小栗正気 and 山脇信三 developed the technique, and 岡崎亀太郎 and 渡辺善介 further improved it, establishing the technique used today. In the early Showa era, a stock company was founded, and to standardize quality and make the ware more durable, the zaraji texture began to be applied to the surface. After World War II, it declined with the spread of plastic products. In 1973, 池田八郎 learned the technique at the Kochi Prefectural Industrial Research Institute (高知県工業試験場), and from then on it came to be called 'Tosa Kodai-nuri'.
Features
Before the thickly applied lacquer dries, powdered walnut shells are sprinkled on to create the zaraji pattern on the surface. This texture makes fingerprints and scratches less noticeable, and together with the thick lacquer coating, results in lacquerware that is easy to handle. Most of the 32 processes consist of repeatedly applying and drying lacquer. Lacquer will not harden unless the temperature is 15–25°C and the humidity 50–80%, so the work is also affected by the season and the weather.
Techniques
Zaraji
A technique of sprinkling powder made from crushed walnut shells onto a wooden base thickly coated with lacquer to give the surface a fine texture. It is said to have been adopted in the early Showa era to standardize quality and increase durability. The chopsticks made by 美禄堂 are introduced as having zaraji applied right up to their tips.
Layering and Drying
Lacquer is applied with a spatula or brush and left overnight to harden in a drying chamber (muro), and this process is repeated many times. 池田泰一 says, 'You can't see it, but if you don't do it properly, flaws will show later,' and the groundwork that cannot be seen from the surface determines the quality of the finish.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
美禄堂（池田泰一）
The workshop of 池田八郎, who took over the technique in 1973; the second generation, 池田泰一, is said to be the sole successor of Tosa Kodai-nuri. His works bear the signature 'Kiku' (季久). He has been certified as a 'Tosa no Takumi' (Master Craftsman of Tosa), and in 2017 he was honored as an Outstanding Skilled Worker (Contemporary Master Craftsman). The workshop is located at 706 Nagahama, Kochi City.
Official site →How to Buy
- 美禄堂 shop (Birokudo)
- At 美禄堂, 706 Nagahama, Kochi City, 池田泰一 serves visitors in person and sells the works. Items include soup bowls, serving trays (zen), chopsticks and business card holders, and he also creates new products such as sake vessels combined with Uchiharano-yaki (Uchiharano Ware). Inquiries: 088-842-6337.Where to buy →PR
- Retailers in Kochi City
- Kochi City's guide lists 高知大丸 (Obiyamachi, Kochi City) and 宝飾・美術HIROMATSU (Harimaya-cho, Kochi City) as retailers. It is also said to be sold at the museum shop of 高知城歴史博物館 (Kochi Castle Museum of History).Where to buy →PR
- Mail order
- Besides 美禄堂's online shop, a set of a soup bowl and chopsticks decorated with cherry blossoms is introduced in the mail-order service of the magazine Serai (サライ) from 7,480 yen including tax. Prices may change.Where to buy →PR
FAQ
Q. Why is it said to be easy to care for, even though it is lacquerware?
A. Because the zaraji pattern on the surface makes fingerprints and fine scratches less noticeable, and the thick lacquer coating makes it hard to scratch. It is introduced as lacquerware that is easy to bring into everyday use as soup bowls and chopsticks.
Q. Since when has the name 'Tosa Kodai-nuri' been used?
A. According to Kochi City's guide, it came to be called 'Tosa Kodai-nuri' after 池田八郎 learned kodai-nuri at the Kochi Prefectural Industrial Research Institute in 1973. The technique itself dates back to the early Meiji era.