Odawara Shikki

Lacquer that shows the grain

Odawara Shikki is known for fine woodturning and for coatings that bring out the natural grain of the wood instead of hiding it. Two key finishes are suri-urushi, where raw lacquer is rubbed in again and again, and kijiro-nuri, a clear lacquer coat. It is made in Odawara in Kanagawa as trays, plates, bowls and tea saucers, mostly from zelkova, mulberry and horse chestnut.

On the lathe

• The wood is shaped on a lathe with turning chisels.
• The piece is polished with horsetail rush and similar natural abrasives.
• For suri-urushi, raw lacquer is rubbed straight into the wood and the rubbing is repeated many times.
• For coloured iro-urushi-nuri, a black middle coat goes under a red or black top coat.

Hakone wood, Hojo patrons

Odawara Shikki is said to have begun in the mid-Muromachi period, when lacquer was applied to turned vessels made from the rich forests of the Hakone mountains. The Hojo clan, who ruled the area, invited lacquer craftsmen to their castle town, and coloured lacquer work began. In the Edo period craftsmen lacquered everyday trays and bowls as well as armour, and Odawara became a centre for practical lacquerware.