Urushi
Urushi ( Japanese 漆 ) is the name for a natural lacquer ( Chinese lacquer ) and the traditional Japanese handicraft of the Japanese lacquer art.
history
The roots of processing technology can be traced back around 6,000 years. Evidence for the use of urushi can be found since the Neolithic Age . At first, the resin was used to attach spear and arrowheads . In the 6th century the urushi technique reached a very high artistic level and was reserved for the imperial family and the nobility as a luxury for many centuries. Only in the 17th century did objects come to Europe on a significant scale. Today some European artists also work with this material.
Manufacturing
The raw material for this is obtained from the resin of the East Asian lacquer tree ( Rhus vernicifera , 漆 の 木 , Urushi no Ki ), which is related to the vinegar tree . The raw varnish is initially cloudy, but after curing due to polymerization it is clear and very light to dark amber in color.
Wood or paper maché objects are usually used as a basis , which are first primed with a paste made from urushi and clay powder and then wet-sanded with a water stone or sandpaper. But you can also form objects from a paste of clay and urushi or from fabric soaked in urushi over a model.
Then colored urushi is applied in numerous layers. Urushi is traditionally often pigmented red (with iron oxide and cinnabar ) or black (with soot ), but can also be processed as semi-transparent urushi. Sometimes other material is embedded in Urushi, e.g. B. gold or silver dust or leaf metal ( 蒔 絵 , Makie ), mother-of-pearl ( 螺 鈿 , Raden or 青 貝 , Aogai ) or eggshells ( 卵 殻 , Rankaku ).
Each layer has to cure under absolutely dust-free conditions with high humidity and almost 30 ° C. Urushi artists therefore often settle in remote mountain areas. In Japan, the paint was often allowed to cure on rafts that were pulled out to sea. There was practically no dust over the water , which was important for achieving high gloss .
The urushiols contained in the uncured resin can cause allergic rashes on skin contact ; the same substances are in the domiciled in North America poison ivy ( poison ivy included). The finished urushi goods are resistant to water, alcohol, solvents and acids, permanently elastic and food-safe. The resin also prevents the growth of mold, which is particularly beneficial in the humid Japanese climates. Urushi is only damaged by prolonged exposure to intense sunlight.
The coating has a shine and depth that can neither be achieved with shellac polish nor with modern synthetic resin paints.
Items such as bowls, chopsticks, trays, furniture, as well Kyūdō - arches and the vaginal Japanese swords , armor ( Yoroi ) and helmets ( Kabuto ) are protected. Due to its elasticity, it can also be applied selectively to leather, for example using stamp and screen printing techniques . Bags, bags and purses made of deerskin are decorated in this way.
Exhibitions
- 2011: Lacquer and gold work by Master Takahashi, Kyōto , German Blade Museum , Solingen - Gräfrath
literature
- WP Casal : Japanese Art Laquers. Sophia University, Tokyo 1961. (Monumenta Nipponica Monographs 18), OCLC 715847289 .
- Günther Heckmann: Urushi no waza. Japanese lacquer tech. Nihon Art Publishers, Ellwangen 2002, ISBN 3-9805755-1-9 .
- Review: Shine from many hours of work. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung . August 7, 2011, p. V8.
- John J. Quin, Jack C. Thompson (Eds.): Urushi: the technology of Japanese lacquer. Caber Press, Portland / Or. 1995, ISBN 1-887719-01-6 .
- Christine Shimizu: Urushi, les laques du Japon. Flammarion, Paris 1988, ISBN 2-08-012088-3 .
- Elmar Weinmayr: Nurimono - Japanese paint masters of the present. Fred Jahn Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-930090-04-X .
- Review: Yoshino Tomio: Japanese Laquer Ware. In: Monumenta Nipponica. Vol. 15, No. 3/4 (Oct. 1959 - Jan. 1960), pp. 464-466.
Web links
- Urushi on materialarchiv.ch, accessed on February 10, 2017.