Kyo Shikki

Wabi and sabi in lacquer

Kyo Shikki carries a quiet, inner depth, the wabi and sabi of Kyoto, that is hard to find elsewhere. It combines elegant, refined design and sturdiness with beautiful forms and a delicate finish. It is made in Kyoto as tea utensils, tableware and furniture, often decorated with maki-e or aogai shell.

From base to gold

• Bases are made from boards, steam-bent wood or turned wood, using hinoki, katsura, zelkova, cedar or bamboo.
• The base is hardened, cloth is applied, and a paste coat is added and polished.
• Middle and top coats of lacquer follow.
• For maki-e, patterns are painted in lacquer and sprinkled with gold or silver powder, raised or shaded for depth.

From Nara to the tea room

In the Nara period, under the influence of Tang China, a technique that became the root of maki-e was born. When the capital moved to Kyoto in the Heian period, the technique came with it and developed further. From the Muromachi period, Kyo Shikki spread together with the tea ceremony, which flourished in Kyoto, and the city became the centre of Japan's lacquer industry.