Wakasa Meno Saiku

Red from fire

Agate is a translucent quartz with ring-like bands. Wakasa makers found that baking the grey raw stone at 200 to 300°C makes the iron in it oxidise and glow red, a process rare anywhere in the world. The hard stone is then slowly carved and polished into animals such as roosters, hens and carp, Buddha images, incense burners, cups and accessories. It is made in Obama in Fukui.

Four stages

• The raw stone is cut to make the most of its pattern.
• It is baked so its colour comes out.
• It is carved and shaped with gem-working techniques.
• It is polished to a wet-looking, cool, smooth sheen.

A people who revered jewels

In the Nara period, it is said, the Wani, a sea people who revered jewels, came to Onyu in Wakasa, home of the region's first shrine, built a road before the shrine and made jewels there. In the mid-Edo period the technique of baking agate for colour was established, and in the 19th century carving skills developed further.