Chapter 1
The heartbeat of Swiss watchmaking
Chapter 2
The liquid gold of Japanese lacquerware
Chapter 3
The magic threads of French leatherwork
Chapter 4
The clay and fire of Chinese porcelain
Ch 2 · The liquid gold of Japanese lacquerware
louisvuitton The Hundred-Layer Polish
A hundred layers deep, we polish till they shine! (Oh, till they shine!) / This liquid tree sap art is gonna outlast time! (Yeah, outlast time!)
louisvuitton Harvesters scratch the Toxicodendron vernicifluum to collect spoonfuls of gray-white sap containing urushiol, the toxic compound in poison ivy.
Quiz
What substance in urushi lacquer sap makes it toxic to touch before it fully cures?
Quiz
Approximately how much sap does a single mature urushi tree produce in its entire lifetime?
Fun Fact
Ancient lacquer durability: Urushi lacquer is so durable that 9,000-year-old lacquerware recovered from shipwrecks still retains its original color and shine.
louisvuitton Sprinkling precious metal dust through hollow bamboo tubes creates highly detailed, shimmering patterns.
Quiz
What tool is traditionally used by maki-e artisans to scatter gold powder onto wet lacquer?
Glossary
urushi (noun)
A natural resin obtained from the lacquer tree, used to produce a durable, glossy coating. Japanese craftsmen have harvested this sap since the ancient Jōmon period to preserve and decorate wooden vessels.
A natural resin obtained from the lacquer tree, used to produce a durable, glossy coating. Japanese craftsmen have harvested this sap since the ancient Jōmon period to preserve and decorate wooden vessels.
Quiz
What is the name of the traditional wooden cupboard used by Japanese artisans to cure lacquerware?
Quiz
Under what environmental conditions does Japanese urushi lacquer properly cure and harden?
Quiz
What material do Japanese lacquer artisans traditionally use to polish cured lacquer layers flat?
Quiz
How does the appearance of high-quality urushi lacquerware change over decades of use?