Takaoka Shikki

Three Takaoka styles

Takaoka Shikki has three classic styles. Aogai-nuri uses abalone and turban shell, cut into landscapes, flowers and birds, with a rainbow sheen. Chokoku-nuri uses carving and coloured lacquers to give depth. Yusuke-nuri sets stones on an urumi-coloured ground and adds sabie, raised lacquer painting. It is made in Takaoka in Toyama as trays, boxes and interior furnishings.

Why the shell looks blue

Aogai-nuri uses shell about 0.3 mm thick, as in ordinary raden, and also shell only about 0.1 mm thick, unique to Takaoka. When the very thin shell is laid down, the black lacquer below shows through and the shell looks blue, which is where the name aogai, blue shell, comes from. Wooden bases are joined, bent or turned, then strong base and middle coats and a fine top coat are applied.

A castle town craft

Takaoka Shikki began early in the Edo period, when Maeda Toshinaga, lord of the Kaga domain, built Takaoka Castle and had weapons, chests and meal tables made. Techniques such as tsuishu and tsuikoku arrived from China, and carved lacquer, sabie, raden and zonsei followed. The richly decorated Mikurumayama floats of the Takaoka festival bring many of these lacquer skills together.