Urushi Archive Search

Vocabulary

The words the craft
actually uses.

Terms are kept in their original script with a reading and a plain English gloss, because the Japanese, Korean and Chinese vocabulary distinguishes techniques that English flattens into one word. Each entry links to where it appears in the corpus.

141 terms

A

厚貝 atsugai

thick mother-of-pearl sheet, roughly 1 mm, used where a solid pearlescent body is wanted

B

弁柄 bengara

red iron-oxide pigment mixed into the e-urushi

iron-oxide pigment mixed into urushi to create a dark adhesive base for gold powder in kintsugi

iron-oxide pigment mixed with lacquer, used here as a thick, viscous sealing coat

弁柄漆 bengara urushi

iron-oxide lacquer used as the adhesive layer before sprinkling metal powders in maki-e

弁柄漆 bengara-urushi

lacquer pigmented with iron-oxide red, used as the adhesive layer for gold powder in kintsugi

iron-oxide-red pigmented urushi, high pigment load, used as a final color layer or as a base for gold powder

lacquer mixed with bengara (iron-oxide red) pigment, used as a coloured ground coat

ベンジン benjin

a petroleum distillate (ligroin / naphtha) used as a urushi thinner; not to be confused with benzene

ベンゼン benzen

an aromatic hydrocarbon and known carcinogen; a different substance from benzine despite the similar English spelling

白檀塗 byakudan-nuri

a finishing technique in which a relatively thick urushi coat is applied over gold leaf

C

cashew lacquer

synthetic phenolic resin derived from cashew nut shell liquid, developed in the 1950s as a urushi alternative

chatoyance

the shimmering, figure-like play of light in the grain produced by a well-polished fuki-urushi surface (borrowed gemological term used by the commenters)

縮み chijimi

wrinkling or puckering of a urushi surface caused by a coat that is too thick for the curing conditions

wrinkling of a coat that cured too fast or was applied too thickly

칠장 chiljang

Curing cabinet

Korean curing cabinet, equivalent to the Japanese furo

彫漆 choshitsu

carved-lacquer technique: many coloured coats built up then carved through to expose strata

cyanoacrylate

the chemical family behind 'super glue'; bonds rapidly to ceramic and porcelain surfaces

D

大漆 daqi

Chinese raw natural lacquer

dehiscent

flaking or lifting of a lacquer layer, where the coating is peeling away from the substrate

do-zuri

a flattening or leveling pass between coats (term as used in the thread)

砥塗 dozuri

Sanding and initial polishing to prepare the surface for uwazuri

Abrasive polishing stage

砥塗 dōzuri

The sanding and polishing stage, here applied to textured surfaces with a horsehair tool loaded with tonoko, sumiko, or polishing paste

E

絵漆 e-urushi

Design lacquer

painting lacquer

painting or design lacquer, drawn onto the surface to form the maki-e pattern

F

拭き漆 fuki-urushi

Wipe-on lacquer technique for sealing and fixing.

Wipe-on wipe-back finish

wipe-on wipe-back finish, mentioned as a use case for filtered lacquer

粉筒 funzutsu

tube for sprinkling powder

tube for sprinkling powder; bamboo or aluminium with a sieve face

cylindrical tube with a mesh base, used to sprinkle metal powder evenly

風呂 furo

humidity-controlled curing cabinet

the humidity-controlled curing cabinet

the humidity-controlled curing cabinet for urushi

H

刷毛 hake

Lacquer brush

Lacquer brush; human-hair and horsehair variants are used for different applications

lacquer brush

刻目塗 hakeme-nuri

A technique involving structured or patterned surfaces

A lacquering technique using a stiffer horsehair hake

箔下漆 haku-shita urushi

lacquer applied beneath gold leaf

白漆 hakushi-urushi

White lacquer, often used as an adhesive for gold leaf

箆 hera

spatula used for mixing and scraping lacquer

Spatula

spatula used for scraping lacquer

乾口 hiku-chi

the semi-dry state of urushi (lacquer) suitable for powder application

檜 hinoki

Japanese cypress; a rot-resistant wood traditionally used for muro construction

平蒔絵 hira-maki-e

flat maki-e; metal powder sprinkled onto a wet lacquer surface and polished to a flat metallic finish

호칠 hochil

Cloth-adhesive lacquer (rice paste and lacquer)

Korean rice-paste-and-lacquer adhesive for cloth bonding (equivalent to nori-urushi)

本黒 hon-kuro

genuine black lacquer (as opposed to a tinted or mixed product)

本朱 hon-shu

genuine vermilion lacquer

I

石目地 ishime-ji

A ground technique using kanshitsu powder or similar particles

textured surface made with powdered dried lacquer

a textured ground or finish applied to the grip area (term as used in the thread)

J

자개 jagae

The shell material itself used for inlay

The mother-of-pearl shell material used in Korean inlay

the shell material itself (Korean)

Japanning

historical European imitation of Asian lacquerware, an endangered craft in the UK

地漆 ji-urushi

foundation lacquer mixture

地の粉 jinoko

Fired-clay powder for the ground

Fired-clay powder used as the filler in the ground layers

Fired-clay powder, coarser than tonoko, used for deeper structural fills

重要 jūyō

a Japanese cultural-property designation for objects of particular importance

K

乾漆 kanshitsu

Dried urushi ground to powder, used here in ishime-ji technique after fractionation through sieves

dry-lacquer core technique

dry-lacquer core technique; kanshitsu-fun is the powdered form used for textured surfaces

乾漆粉 kanshitsu-fun

powdered dried urushi used in togidashi-maki-e gradients

ကညစ် kanyit

Myanmar technique of engraved and colored lacquer

変わり塗 kawari-nuri

An intentionally irregular or textured lacquer application, here achieved by dabbing thickened urushi with seafoam at varying angles

patterned and textured variant finishes

変わり塗 kawarinuri

A technique involving polishing or sanding to reveal underlying layers

毛棒 ke-bō

hair stick used for sprinkling powder

毛筆 kebo

Hair stick/brush used for sprinkling fine powder

hair stick or fine brush used to wrap and sprinkle fine maki-e powders

消粉 keshi-fun

the finest grade of gold powder, used for flat maki-e and kintsugi gilding

the finest gold powder, applied with a soft brush

消粉 keshifun

the finest gold powder, used for the most delicate maki-e work

the finest gold powder; used for a smoother, more luminous finish

the finest grade of gold powder, used for flat maki-e and fine kintsugi lines

生漆 ki-urushi

Raw unrefined lacquer

raw unrefined lacquer

Raw unrefined lacquer, the binder for all ground and adhesive mixtures

木地 kiji

Bare wooden substrate

the bare wooden substrate

The bare wooden substrate before any lacquer or ground is applied

木地固め kijigatame

the first sealing coat of lacquer applied to bare wood to close the grain and make the surface water-resistant

kijiro

a type of clear urushi cited as a better base for pigment mixing than raw urushi

木地呂漆 kijiro-urushi

transparent lacquer that allows the wood grain to show through

transparent lacquer that lets the substrate show through; the 'clear' urushi used for filling and sealing

kijomi

transparent lacquer that cures to a satiny matte finish (term as used in the thread; closely related to kijiro-urushi)

木地漆 kijomi-urushi

Lacquer for the wooden substrate, used here for viscosity control

金虫喰塗 kinmushikui-nuri

a kawari-nuri finish in which gold leaf is set into a textured, worm-eaten relief of cured lacquer

金継ぎ kintsugi

Lacquer repair finished in gold

lacquer repair finished in gold

lacquer-based repair; gold is one possible decorative finish

刻苧 kokuso

Wood-dust or plant-fiber filler mixed with lacquer for structural gap-filling

wood-dust or fiber filler added to clay-lacquer mix for body

wood-dust filler for gaps and losses

刻苧漆 kokuso-urushi

Filler made from tonoko, lacquer, and wood fiber.

拵 koshirae

the complete set of sword fittings (saya, tsuba, menuki, fuchi, kashira, habaki, etc.)

黒中塗漆 kuro-nakanuri-urushi

black middle-coat lacquer, acceptable for kintsugi but a step below roiro in grade

黒呂色漆 kuro-riro-urushi

Polishing-grade black lacquer

黒漆 kuro-urushi

black lacquer

Black lacquer

black lacquer, the standard colour for naka-nuri on most projects

髹漆 kyūshitsu

the discipline of lacquer coating, of which furo-curing is a central stage

The discipline of lacquer coating, the overarching craft

The discipline of lacquer coating

M

蒔絵 maki-e

Sprinkled metal-powder decoration

Sprinkled metal-powder decoration on wet lacquer; the maker's metal-leaf flake technique is described as a form of maki-e

sprinkled metal-powder decoration

蒔絵師 maki-e-shi

the specialist who performs the maki-e decoration

makiji

sprinkling charcoal dust or jinoko powder into a lacquer trace as an alternative to sabi putty, used when surface texture prevents a smooth sabi coat

sprinkled-particle textured ground, typically with very fine particles

丸粉 maru-fun

coarser round gold powder used for the visible kintsugi line

丸粉 marufun

Coarser round gold powder

Round metal powder for kintsugi finishing.

coarser round gold powder

真綿 mawata

degummed silk wadding used as a soft applicator for gold powder

degummed silk wadding used to press gold powder into the urushi surface

磨き migaki

Final polishing

final polishing to achieve the finished surface

Final polishing; the hand-polishing stage that reveals the mirror gloss.

磨き粉 migakiko

Fine Japanese polishing powder

麦漆 mugi-urushi

Lacquer and wheat-flour adhesive

lacquer and wheat-flour adhesive

Lacquer-and-wheat-flour adhesive, used for bonding coats and sealing

室 muro

A curing chamber for lacquer

alternate term for the curing chamber, used in the kintsugi context

the humidity-controlled curing chamber in which lacquer gels and sets

虫喰 mushikui

worm-eaten; the textured relief pattern that gives the finish its name

N

나전 najeon

mother-of-pearl inlay (Korean)

나전칠기 najeonchilgi

Mother-of-pearl lacquerware

Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware; the cloth-reinforcement stage is a prerequisite for the shell-inlay work that follows.

Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware

中塗 naka-nuri

middle coats

Middle coats, the first decorative or protective coats applied over the prepared ground

Middle coats of lacquer applied over the ground

中塗 nakanuri

middle coats of lacquer applied over the putty before the final finish

middle coats

the middle coat of straight urushi, the layer that carries most decorative work

ななこ塗 nanako-nuri

a decorative technique in which seeds are pressed into wet lacquer and then removed, leaving an imprinted pattern

seed-removal technique producing a pitted, grippy texture

梨子地 nashiji

Pear-skin sprinkled ground

pear-skin sprinkled ground

pear-skin sprinkled ground using metal flakes in urushi

梨子地塗漆 nashiji-nuri urushi

a urushi grade selected for transparency, often carrying a slight yellow dye to enhance gold colour

梨子地漆 nashiji-urushi

pear-skin sprinkled-ground lacquer, occasionally used as a transparent top coat

negoro-nuri

a two-color lacquer finish where the top coat wears or is removed to reveal the color beneath; cited as the undesirable look produced by sanding to fake a tamenuri edge

膠漆 nikawa-urushi

adhesive made by mixing animal glue (typically hide glue) with raw lacquer; one of the three principal urushi-based adhesives

糊漆 nori-urushi

lacquer and rice-paste adhesive

Lacquer and rice-paste adhesive, used to bond cloth to the wood (Korean: hochil)

Lacquer mixed with rice-paste adhesive; the standard adhesive for attaching cloth in nunokise.

布目 nuno-me

the visible fabric-grain texture on a lacquered surface, whether produced by actual cloth or simulated with brushwork

布着せ nunokise

cloth reinforcement over edges

Cloth reinforcement over the wood, bonded with lacquer-paste adhesive

Cloth reinforcement: the stage in which woven fabric is bonded to the wooden substrate as a structural backing for the ground layers.

塗師 nuri-shi

the specialist who performs the foundational lacquerwork (ground and coats)

塗刀 nuri-to

Lacquer-applying knife

塗立 nuritate

A final coat left unpolished

a final coat left unpolished, retaining brush marks and a soft sheen

a final coat left unpolished

O

風呂 ofuro

Bathroom; used as a metaphor for the warm, humid environment

蒔絵下地 okakaji

Lacquer ground for maki-e

옻칠 ottchil

Korean natural-lacquer work

Korean natural-lacquer work; the Korean tradition in which nunokise-equivalent cloth wrapping is a standard intermediate step.

R

螺鈿 raden

Mother-of-pearl inlay; here cut into strips, circles, and crushed fractions for decoration

shell inlay; another prior discipline of the practitioner

shell inlay: small pieces of mother-of-pearl or other shell set into a lacquer surface and finished flush

冷研ぎ reiyagi

Sharpening with a diamond whetstone

呂瀬漆 ro-se-urushi

roiro-urushi and ki-urushi blended roughly 1:1; sets faster in narrow voids and cures firmer in thicker films than plain raw lacquer

呂色 roiro

polishing to a mirror surface

Polishing to a mirror surface; the name of this final finishing technique.

polishing-grade black lacquer; here blended with kijomi to cancel its brown cast in silver work

呂色磨き粉 roiro migakiko

fine polishing powder used to bring a cured lacquer surface to a mirror finish

呂色磨き roiro-migaki

polishing to a mirror surface

呂色漆 roiro-urushi

polishing-grade black lacquer, used when the final surface will be polished to a mirror

polishing-grade black lacquer intended for a mirror finish

polishing-grade black lacquer

S

錆 sabi

tonoko-and-lacquer putty ground

Tonoko-and-lacquer putty ground

A putty ground of tonoko (polishing clay) and lacquer, used for filling and smoothing

錆固め sabi-gatame

saturation of the cured sabi ground with diluted urushi to seal it against water

the step of impregnating a cured sabi ground with thinned urushi to densify and strengthen it before the next coat

錆漆 sabi-urushi

The sabi putty itself, the tonoko-lacquer composite

tonoko-and-lacquer putty ground used for filling

tonoko-and-lacquer putty ground used as the base layer in kintsugi repairs

鞘 saya

the wooden sheath of a Japanese sword

締生漆 seshime ki-urushi

thinned raw lacquer used as the liquid component in mugi, kokuso, and sabi mixtures

深漆 shin-urushi

deep lacquer (base layer)

下地 shitaji

the ground layers beneath the coats

The ground layers beneath the decorative coats

The ground layers beneath the lacquer coats, of which kokuso and sabi are components

朱漆 shu-urushi

Vermilion lacquer

vermilion lacquer

vermilion (red) lacquer

shuai

Chinese glossy clear oil urushi, used as a faster-build alternative to Japanese urushi in fuki-urushi

朱合漆 shuai-urushi

oil-added transparent lacquer; cures to a natural shine

ရွှေဇဝါ shwezawa

Myanmar technique of gold leaf lacquer

skiving

The leather-working term for thinning material, especially at edges; here applied to cutting raden strips with a Japanese leather skiving knife

杉 sugi

Japanese cedar; another rot-resistant wood traditionally used for muro construction

透漆 suki-urushi

transparent lacquer

transparent lacquer, used as a binder or fixing coat

transparent lacquer; used to thin other lacquers for workable viscosity

墨粉 sumiko

Carbon powder, an alternative to tonoko for dōzuri polishing

摺り漆 suri-urushi

Rubbed-in lacquer, similar to uwazuri but used for hardening soft surfaces

rubbed-in lacquer

Lacquer rubbed into the surface with a cloth or cotton ball rather than brushed on

T

溜塗 tamenuri

Transparent lacquer over a coloured ground

Transparent lacquer over a coloured ground; the name of the studio (Tamenuri Studio)

transparent lacquer over a coloured ground

テルペン油 terupen-abura

Japanese term for turpentine oil

တစ်စီ tisi

Myanmar term for lacquer sap

토분 tobun

Clay powder used in the Korean ground (equivalent to jinoko)

研ぎ togi

Flattening by abrasion between coats

flattening by abrasion between coats

Flattening by abrasion between coats; the sanding stage that precedes polishing.

研出蒔絵 togidashi-maki-e

polished-out maki-e, a gradient between urushi and metal powder

토화칠 tohwachil

Clay-powder lacquer coating

Korean clay-and-lacquer ground mixture (equivalent to sabi or jinoko-based ground)

砥石 toishi

abrasive stone; here a #3000 crystal toishi used as a synthetic sanding medium

whetstone or grindstone used for abrasion between coats; crystal varieties are preferred for glazed ceramics

砥草 tokusa

a plant-based abrasive that does not scratch glazed surfaces

砥の粉 tonoko

Fine polishing-clay powder, used in dōzuri and for filtering through sieves

Fine polishing-clay powder

Fine polishing-clay powder, a finer grade than jinoko

トクサ tsubaki

Plant fiber used as an abrasive

津軽塗 Tsugaru-nuri

the Tsugaru lacquer tradition

鹿角 tsunoko

Deer antler powder used for ultra-fine polishing

tsuya-age

a gloss-raising step performed after do-zuri (term as used in the thread)

U

漆 urushi

lacquer

natural lacquer

natural lacquer sap; the organic resin that cures enzymatically in the furo

漆固め urushi-gatame

a consolidation treatment in which a thin urushi wash is applied to stabilise a mildly degraded lacquer surface; not a repair or re-coating

urushiol

the group of phenolic lipids in raw urushi responsible for skin sensitisation

漆継ぎ urushitsugi

lacquer-based repair of a broken or cracked object

kintsugi repair finished at the coloured-pigment stage without gold or silver powder

lacquer joinery or repair without metal powder, a lower-cost alternative to gold kintsugi

薄貝 usugai

thin mother-of-pearl sheet, typically under 0.3 mm, used where iridescence and backing colour are desired

上塗 uwa-nuri

final coat of lacquer

final coat

Final lacquer coat

上塗 uwanuri

the final coat of straight urushi, the visible surface that is polished

上塗 uwazuri

The final coat of lacquer, applied and wiped off to enhance gloss

W

輪島塗 Wajima-nuri

the Wajima lacquer tradition, known for multi-layer composite construction

the Wajima lacquer tradition, known for highly durable composite builds

the Wajima lacquer tradition with thick composite ground layers

Y

横手刀 yoko-te-to

Side-handled knife