Murakami Kibori Tsuishu

Carving under red lacquer

Murakami Kibori Tsuishu is fine carving on wood, set off by lacquer work made to show the carving at its best. The name covers six techniques, including tsuishu, tsuikoku and shudame-nuri. The best known, tsuishu, has a matte red top coat with a calm, soft surface. It is made in Murakami in Niigata as stacked boxes, trays, tea ware, vases and sweet dishes.

Three craftsmen, one piece

• A woodworker makes the base from magnolia or horse chestnut.
• A carver draws the design straight onto the wood and carves it.
• A lacquerer applies natural lacquer only, in 18 to 20 steps.
• Before it is finished, the carver returns to engrave fine lines by hand.

From temple builders to townspeople

The Murakami area has been known as a source of natural lacquer since the Heian period. In the early 15th century, lacquer craftsmen in Kyoto imitated Chinese carved lacquer by applying lacquer over carved wood, and the technique reached Murakami when temples were built there. The temple carpenters learned it first; in the Edo period it spread to samurai and then to townspeople.