New frontiers in Japanese lacquer – Lecture and Workshop

20th July

14:00 – 15:30

Lacquer, or urushi as it’s known in Japanese, has a 10,000 year history in Japan. Made from the sap of a variety of sumac tree, this versatile natural material has been used to coat and protect all manner of objects, from the soup bowls in daily life to national treasures. Urushi is also used in repair – it is also the key component of kintsugi – a Japanese technique of coating cracks or breaks in pottery with gold.

In spite of its cultural significance, urushi craft has been in decline since the mass production of plastic and disposable items, forcing the industry to find new meaning for urushi in the 21st century. Learn about the new crafts culture evolving in Japan and have a go at fuki-urushi, a simple lacquering technique using fresh urushi from a 4th generation urushi refinery in Kyoto.

We will supply items for you to lacquer in the workshop that you will be able to take home, but we also welcome people to bring wooden objects of their own which they would like to give a new lease of life to. Things like plates, bowls, cup and cutlery are ideal.