Kijitame-nuri and Raden
Japanese lacquer with the wood grain visible and mother of pearl| This technique, known as Suki-urushi (transparent lacquer), is also referred to as Kijitame-nuri or Kijiro-nuri. It features a deep brown finish, which is subtly shown by the wood grain. A defining characteristic of all these methods is the formation of a lacquer coating.
Raden is a technique in which an abalone shell is carved and inlaid into lacquerware or wood surfaces, creating intricate decorative designs. |
| traditional Techniques |
| Wood Priming and Undercoating | Stencil Placement | Abalone Shell Application and Intermediate Coating |
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| The wooden scabbard is coated with raw lacquer. It is polished using fine rust, polishing powder, and sandpaper, then hardened with raw lacquer. After that, it is undercoated with kijiro lacquer (transparent lacquer), polished with charcoal, and further hardened with raw lacquer. | Stencils are created, and dimensions and placement are checked. Preparation is done by cutting and arranging mother-of-pearl inlays. |
Thin abalone shell pieces are cut and attached as mother-of-pearl inlays. The edges are refined until smooth. Then, a transparent lacquer is applied as an intermediate coating. |
| Top Coating |
Finishing |
Completion |
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| Further polishing is done, and the surface is hardened with raw lacquer. Another transparent lacquer coating is applied. After the final top coat, polishing and finishing are completed. |
Gold powder is applied to the mother-of-pearl inlays. A final raw lacquer coat is used for setting, followed by polishing. |
Metal fittings are attached and secured, finalizing the assembly. |
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