輪島塗ができるまで
1. The base
The base are provided from kiji-shi wood masters, forming rough wood chunk to refined wood base. This is the lacquer's heart, which is inevitable to check thoroughly. The tree has a trace it used to alive, so we remove the knot, crack, grain joints with sharp knife to prevent the trouble later on. This step called KIRI BORI(切彫り).
2. Simmering
Apply the unmodified raw natural lacquer sup to the whole surface of base to prevent wreck or crook, modifying its form firmly. Workshop visitors surprised to this black colour change, ask the reason often. Original lacquer sup is beige and white, which changes to dark, and deep colour triggered by oxidization as the time goes by.
3. Filling bumps
Can you tell there is a clear scars of Kiribori and grain tracement ? Unless putting pate into those concave, a smooth finish will never be achieved. So this point we put Kokuso Urushi to refine the surface for the next step. This pate is consisted with a mixture of rice glue, wood powder, and raw natural Urushi in a best mixing ratio.
4. Polishing
The lacquered surface has water proof urushiol coat, which is a little bit slippery. So at some point, sanding required to remove urushiol from the surface. Paint & Polish are the repetitive process continues till the end. This also enhances the "catch" for the next coat.
5. Edge protection
For those delicate edge often tends to crack, rough cotton strips applied with glue urushi (mixture of rice glue and lacquer sup), for further reinforcement. These strips are very tricky and sticky to fit in, but craftsmen handle this with light touch of their skilled technique.
