Inro box for small items Tsugaru nuri in the style of Ogawa Haritsu known as Ritsuo 1663 1747 decorated with a golden wasp on pewter lotus boxes Edo period 1615 1868 late 18th century.
Crafts

Tsugaru lacquerware

by gxeniya
Inro box for small items Tsugaru nuri in the style of Ogawa Haritsu known as Ritsuo 1663 1747 decorated with a golden wasp on pewter lotus boxes Edo period 1615 1868 late 18th century.
Inro box for small items Tsugaru nuri in the style of Ogawa Haritsu known as Ritsuo 1663 1747 decorated with a golden wasp on pewter lotus boxes Edo period 1615 1868 late 18th century.

Japanese crafts: Tsugaru lacquerware

Tsugaru lacquerware is a traditional Japanese craft that originated about 300 years ago in the Tsugaru area of ​​Aomori Prefecture. Tsugaru Nuri features unique colors and patterns.

Through careful layering of lacquer paint, Tsugaru craftsmen are able to create durable and practical pieces adorned with beautiful designs. The process includes coating the base with varnish, drying and polishing. The lacquer is applied again and again to the aomori hiba (cypress) wood and polished each time with a whetstone. The varnish dries for a long time after application, and this stage of work takes about one and a half to two months. And this is just a simplified version – the real procedure takes 48 steps! The more layers of varnish, the more massive and durable the product becomes.

Tsugaru lacquered teaware modern work.
Tsugaru lacquered teaware modern work.

The origin of the Tsugaru lacquer craft dates back to the middle of the Edo period during the reign of Tsugaru Nobumasa (1646-1710). The Tsugaru, who had land in northern Japan, were wealthy and powerful daimyo (lords) known as patrons of the arts. The Tsugaru continue to be one of Japan’s leading families; they intermarried in the eighteenth century with the imperial house through the marriage of Tsugaru Hanako and Prince Hitachi, the Emperor’s younger brother.

During the Meiji Restoration, the feudal system in Japan was abolished, and the newly established Aomori Prefecture supported the creation of an association for the preservation of their art. Tsugaru ware even received an award at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873.

Tsugaru lacquerware modern work.
Tsugaru lacquerware modern work.

In 1975, Tsugaru lacquerware, Aizu lacquerware, and Wajima lacquerware were recognized as traditional Japanese crafts. This was the impetus for the revival of small-scale, inefficient, but traditional industries.
Karanuri

One of the most popular techniques for decorating Tsugaru lacquerware, the karanuri technique produces raindrop-like patterns. This technique already existed before 1715 and was modeled after goods imported from China. Initially, imports from China were called caramono, which means luxury goods, hence the name.

Tsugaru products

Tsugaru lacquer tray circa 1983 from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum London.
Tsugaru lacquer tray circa 1983 from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum London.
Karanuri style chopsticks by Yasuharu Masukawa modern work
Karanuri style chopsticks by Yasuharu Masukawa modern work.
Nanakonuri bowl by Yasuharu Masukawa modern work.
Nanakonuri bowl by Yasuharu Masukawa modern work.
Black plates depicting cats in various poses by Yasuharu Masukawa modern work.
Black plates depicting cats in various poses by Yasuharu Masukawa modern work.
Tsugarus lacquerware workshop master Yasuharu Masukawa.
Tsugarus lacquerware workshop master Yasuharu Masukawa.
The instruments are manufactured by Empex which is known for its impeccably accurate thermometers and barometers.
The instruments are manufactured by Empex which is known for its impeccably accurate thermometers and barometers.
Thermometer Tsugaru Ishioka Kogei and Empex modern work
Thermometer Tsugaru Ishioka Kogei and Empex modern work.
Ryoshibako stationery box with kuranuri style interior 32 x 27 x 13 cm work attributed to Ogawa Haritsu Ritsuo 18th century.
Ryoshibako stationery box with kuranuri style interior 32 x 27 x 13 cm work attributed to Ogawa Haritsu Ritsuo 18th century.
Ryoshibako stationery box 9 cm x 25 cm x 32.2 cm Ogawa Haritsu Ritsuo 18th century.
Ryoshibako stationery box 9 cm x 25 cm x 32.2 cm Ogawa Haritsu Ritsuo 18th century.
Suzuribako letter box made of rattan with a panel. Lacquer inlays in gold and silver soapstone glazed ceramics and tortoise shell 24.7 cm x 20.3 cm x 4.2 cm 18th century.
Suzuribako letter box made of rattan with a panel. Lacquer inlays in gold and silver soapstone glazed ceramics and tortoise shell 24.7 cm x 20.3 cm x 4.2 cm 18th century.
Kuranuri style suzuribako interior decoration.
Kuranuri style suzuribako interior decoration.

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