‘While lacquer ware was originally created using natural materials, today a great deal is made with synthetic resins or chemical varnishes due to the advances in science. To tell real lacquer ware apart, assuming that real lacquer ware means the original stuff, it should be noted that natural materials (commonly wood) float in water while manmade materials (such as plastic or wood-like synthetic materials) will sink. Further, plastic wares make a higher pitched sound when tapped with a finger.’

‘Lacquer ware dishes are completed using roughly 22 steps. Wood material is processed in the beginning to form the wood base for the lacquer, correcting any joints, after which raw lacquer is applied to solidify it. It is then polished with sandpaper, cloth is affixed to weak points, and this is followed by grinding to make it flat again. Then the application of lacquer followed by polishing is repeated over and over again and followed with a finishing coat.’

‘There are two types of decoration. First, with decorative maki-e, lacquer is applied to chopsticks to draw a picture, and dusted with gold or silver powder. After drying, they are burnished and polished to give them a shine. There are many techniques available such as the layering of lacquer to create raised relief (taka maki-e) or the embedding of beautiful shells, which create pearl inlay. Secondly there is “sunken gold” decoration, where a picture is drawn by creating lines and points using a chisel, a thin layer of lacquer is applied and then wiped off with paper, and the engraved part is filled with gold leaf or powder. Excess gold is wiped off with paper after the lacquer dries revealing the golden pattern. You can try this “sunken gold” technique for yourself at Koubou Nagaya.’

‘For a first lacquer ware purchase I would recommend a dish. These can be gotten for between 10,000 and 100,000.’