Method 03

Nunokise — cloth reinforcement

Where an edge earns its durability.

Nunokise (布着せ) is the cloth-reinforcement stage in lacquerware construction, in which a strip of woven fabric is bonded to the bare wooden substrate (kiji) with a rice-paste-and-lacquer adhesive (nori-urushi) and then pressed, cured, and trimmed to form a smooth structural backing. It sits between the initial wood preparation and the ground-building (shitaji) phase: without it, the subsequent clay-and-lacquer grounds have no uniform, crack-resistant base to key into. The step demands a firm hand with the spatula, a well-conditioned curing cabinet, and a cloth whose stiffness matches the vessel's geometry and size. Done correctly, the cloth layer is invisible beneath the finished surface; done poorly, it telegraphs as ridges, bubbles, or delamination that no amount of polishing can hide.

Before this: A clean, sanded wooden substrate (kiji) with no loose grain, oil, or dust · Access to a humidity-controlled curing cabinet (furo / chiljang) capable of sustained high temperature and high humidity · Basic lacquer tools: a flat spatula (hera), a sharp knife, and fine sandpaper · A small pot, stove, and digital scale for cooking the rice-paste adhesive

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Safety gate

This procedure involves direct contact with uncured urushi, which is a potent skin sensitiser with a delayed reaction. Work gloved, keep it off skin, and read the safety chapter before starting. Read Safety First before you begin.
Raw urushi (ki-urushi) is a potent skin sensitiser. Contact with the skin can cause a delayed urushiol-type dermatitis that may not appear for 12–72 hours and can become severe with repeated exposure. Wear nitrile or neoprene gloves when handling raw lacquer, the rice-paste adhesive, and the sabi ground. Avoid any skin contact with the wet adhesive or the cloth while it is being pressed. If you su
The curing cabinet (furo / chiljang) operates at elevated temperature and humidity. Ensure the cabinet is ventilated and that you are not trapped inside it. The high humidity environment can also promote mould growth on any organic material left inside; remove all pieces and clean the cabinet after each curing cycle.

Tools

Hera (spatula)— Flat, rigid blade used to press the cloth flat, scrape adhesive into corners, and level the sabi ground. Held at a low angle to the surface for even pressure.
Knife— Used to cut the cloth to size and to trim cured excess after drying. A sharp, straight blade is essential; scissors are an alternative but cut quality varies by fabric.
Sandpaper (two grades)— Light sanding between the cured cloth and the first sabi coat, and between successive sabi coats. Use the lightest grit that removes the high spots without cutting into the cloth.
Small pot, stove, spoon, digital scale— For cooking the rice paste. Low heat and continuous stirring are critical to prevent burning.
Furo / chiljang (curing cabinet)— Maintained at high temperature and high humidity. Must be properly conditioned before use; the maker should verify that the cabinet is 'comfortable' (stable) before loading the piece.

Materials

Woven cloth (linen, ramie, cotton-linen blend, or gauze)— Stiffness and thread density must match the vessel. Fine gauze (kanreisha) suits small curved items and texture work; dense ramie suits large kanshitsu pieces; a 55 % cotton / 45 % linen blend gives a smooth, non-fraying surface. Avoid 100 % linen, which deforms and curls.
Glutinous rice flour— Cooked into a translucent gel and mixed with lacquer to form nori-urushi (nori-urushi). Can be substituted with wheat flour (mugi-urushi) or a blend, per the artisan's preference.
Urushi (ki-urushi or refined)— Mixed with the cooled rice paste at roughly 1 : 1 by volume to create the working adhesive. For very thin fabrics such as silk, raw ki-urushi alone may suffice without paste.
Water— Used in the 4 : 1 ratio (water to flour) for cooking the rice paste.
Fine clay powder (tonoko / tobun)— Mixed with lacquer to form the sabi ground that fills the gaps between cloth threads after curing.

The working sequence

7 steps, each traceable.

Each illustration is a frame taken from the source video at the moment cited, and checked against the step it accompanies. Where no frame passed that check, the step runs without one rather than carrying a misleading picture.

A method merged from several workshops is not a settled standard. 1 of the 4 workshops listed is not cited by any step. 4 further questions the sources leave unanswered are set out at the end.

01 Source · 1:05

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Select the cloth to match the vessel

Choose the fabric before you begin, because its stiffness, thread density, and drying behaviour determine every downstream decision. For small items with pronounced curves, a fine linen gauze (kanreisha) or a 55 % cotton / 45 % linen blend wraps tightly, cuts cleanly, and dries flat without deformation. For large kanshitsu (dry-lacquer) pieces, dense ramie under-cloth provides the structural rigidity the build demands, though its uneven thread thickness can leave a surface that is visibly textured to the naked eye. A thicker cotton under-cloth works for overall texture on medium pieces but absorbs more lacquer and needs an extra one or two days to dry. Avoid 100 % linen: the warp and weft stretch at the intersections during application, the fabric curls after drying, and it tears when cut. If you are working with a very thin silk or paper, note that it will need a deep-lacquer base coat before it will adhere properly.

When it is rightThe chosen cloth lies flat on a test surface without curling, cuts with a clean edge, and its thread pattern is regular enough that, once scraped, the surface reads as a uniform plane rather than a bumpy weave.

When it goes wrongA cloth that is too soft will deform under the spatula, trap air bubbles, and curl at the edges after curing. Recovery: discard the piece and switch to a stiffer fabric; do not try to flatten a deformed cloth with more lacquer, as the distortion is structural.

Workshops differ

The ChengYan workshop tests seven materials and ranks kanreisha and the cotton-linen blend as the most versatile for general nunokise, reserving ramie for large kanshitsu work.
The HwihoCraft workshop uses hemp cloth for najeonchilgi (mother-of-pearl lacquerware), a stiffer, coarser fabric suited to the Korean tradition's thicker ground builds.

成盐漆作 Lacquer ChengYan at 1:05 ↗成盐漆作 Lacquer ChengYan at 5:09 ↗

02 Source · 2:51

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Cook the rice paste and mix the nori-urushi adhesive

Weigh 10 g of glutinous rice flour on a digital scale and add four parts water by volume. Stir the cold mixture continuously until every granule is dispersed and no dough clumps remain; any lumps left at this stage will become hard spots in the finished adhesive. Place the pot on a stove at low heat and warm slowly, stirring without pause. As the temperature rises the liquid will thicken and turn a translucent gel; keep stirring until the whole mass is uniformly gel-like. Remove from the heat but continue stirring to prevent the residual heat from scorching the paste to the pot. Cool the paste naturally or by setting the pot in a bowl of cold water while stirring. Once cool, cut the paste into portions, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. Before use, let it return to room temperature. Mix the cooled paste with urushi at a ratio of roughly one part paste to one part lacquer by volume. Some artisans prefer a heavier paste ratio of 10 parts paste to 7 or 8 parts lacquer, which increases shrinkage and extends drying time. For very thin fabrics such as silk, raw ki-urushi alone may be used without any paste. The finished adhesive should be thick, sticky, and workable—able to coat the cloth evenly without running.

When it is rightA smooth, slightly translucent, uniformly sticky paste that spreads evenly with the spatula and does not separate or run. The lacquer-and-paste mixture should hold a soft ridge when lifted with the hera.

When it goes wrongUndissolved flour granules create hard lumps that show through the cloth as bumps. Burning the paste to the pot leaves a bitter, brittle residue that will not bond. Recovery for lumps: re-stir the cold mixture through a fine sieve before adding lacquer. Recovery for burnt paste: discard and re-cook; do not attempt to salvage scorched paste.

Workshops differ

The ChengYan rice-paste video specifies 10 g flour to 4 parts water and a 1 : 1 paste-to-lacquer mix, with an alternative 10 : 7–8 ratio noted.
The HwihoCraft workshop calls the same adhesive 'hochil' and notes that both components are expensive, so the mixture should be used sparingly.

成盐漆作 Lacquer ChengYan at 2:51 ↗成盐漆作 Lacquer ChengYan at 4:09 ↗옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 0:37 ↗

03 Source · 0:52

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Cut the cloth to size

Lay the cloth flat on a clean, hard surface and measure the area of the vessel that needs reinforcement, adding a small margin so the cloth extends slightly beyond the edge you intend to cover. Cut with a sharp knife held at a steady angle, or with scissors if the fabric cooperates. Cutting behaviour depends on the material: kanreisha and the cotton-linen blend cut cleanly in a single pass; the cotton-linen blend requires you to hold one end taut while cutting the rest to prevent the blade from dragging the fabric. Ramie cuts easily once dry but is harder to cut while damp. If the cloth frays at the cut edge, trim the frayed threads back with the knife before proceeding. The cut piece should be a clean rectangle or shape that matches the vessel profile, with no jagged or torn edges.

When it is rightA cleanly cut piece of cloth with straight edges, no frayed threads, and a size that covers the target area with a small overhang for trimming after curing.

When it goes wrongTorn or ragged edges will create a raised, uneven border after curing that is difficult to sand flat. Recovery: trim the damaged edge back with the knife until the cut is clean, or re-cut the piece if the damage is extensive.

Workshops differ

The ChengYan material-evaluation video notes that 100 % linen breaks into pieces when cut, while the cotton-linen blend requires one end to be held during cutting.
The HwihoCraft workshop uses a knife for cutting hemp cloth.

옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 0:52 ↗成盐漆作 Lacquer ChengYan at 5:09 ↗

04 Source · 0:52

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Apply the adhesive and press the cloth flat

Using the hera, spread a thin, even coat of nori-urushi over the area of the wooden substrate that the cloth will cover. Work the adhesive into the grain and into any corners or edges with the tip of the spatula, ensuring no bare wood is left exposed. Lay the cut cloth onto the wet adhesive, starting from one edge and laying it down progressively so that air is pushed out ahead of the cloth rather than trapped beneath it. Immediately press the cloth into the surface with the flat of the hera, working from the centre outward and from the starting edge toward the far edge. Apply firm, even pressure; the goal is to force the cloth into intimate contact with the wood and to squeeze out every air bubble. Corners and curved transitions are the most difficult areas: work the spatula tip into the corner at a low angle, pressing the cloth into the fold. If a wrinkle or bubble appears, lift the cloth at that spot, smooth it out, and re-press. Do not leave a wrinkle to 'set'—once the adhesive begins to tack, the wrinkle is permanent. Check the entire surface for trapped air by running the flat of the hera lightly over the cloth; any soft spot indicates a void that must be re-pressed.

When it is rightThe cloth lies perfectly flat against the wood with no visible wrinkles, bubbles, or gaps. The thread pattern is visible but uniform, and the edges are pressed firmly with no lifting. The surface feels smooth and solid under the spatula, with no spongy or hollow areas.

When it goes wrongTrapped air bubbles create soft, hollow spots that will show as dimples after curing and will delaminate under the weight of subsequent coats. Wrinkles at corners create ridges that no amount of sanding will fully remove. Recovery: lift the affected area while the adhesive is still wet, smooth the cloth, and re-press. If the adhesive has already tacked, the area must be peeled back, re-coated, and re-pressed—there is no in-place fix for a set wrinkle.

Workshops differ

The HwihoCraft workshop emphasises that corners are particularly difficult and that wrinkles must be corrected immediately, before the adhesive sets.
The ChengYan material video notes that 100 % linen is difficult to scrape flat because the warp and weft stretch, while kanreisha and the cotton-linen blend press smoothly with no bubble accumulation.

옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 0:52 ↗

05 Source · 2:57

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Cure the cloth in the furo

Once the cloth is fully pressed and the adhesive is no longer tacky to a light touch, place the vessel in the furo (curing cabinet). The cabinet must be maintained at high temperature and high humidity; the HwihoCraft workshop stresses that the chiljang must be properly conditioned—what the maker calls 'comfortable'—before the piece is loaded, because unstable conditions will cause the lacquer to cure unevenly. Leave the vessel in the cabinet for at least overnight, or until the next day. Thicker cloths and higher rice-paste ratios in the adhesive will extend the required drying time: the ChengYan material video notes that cotton under-cloth needs an extra one or two days beyond the standard cure, and the rice-paste video warns that a high paste-to-lacquer ratio increases shrinkage and lengthens drying. Do not remove the piece and inspect it repeatedly; each opening of the cabinet disrupts the humidity and can cause surface checking. When you do open the cabinet, the cloth should feel firm and dry to the touch, with no tacky or soft areas, and the adhesive should not leave a mark on a fingertip.

When it is rightThe cloth is fully bonded to the wood, firm and dry throughout. The adhesive has cured to a hard, non-tacky state. The cloth does not lift, shift, or feel spongy at any point. The vessel can be handled without the cloth moving.

When it goes wrongInsufficient curing leaves the adhesive partially soft, so the cloth can shift or delaminate when the next coat is applied. Cracking of the adhesive layer indicates that the humidity was too low or the temperature too high, causing the lacquer to skin over before the paste fully cross-linked. Recovery: return the piece to the furo for an additional full cycle. If cracking is severe, the affected area must be peeled back, re-adhered, and re-cured.

Workshops differ

The HwihoCraft workshop specifies overnight or until the next day in a high-temperature, high-humidity chiljang.
The ChengYan material video notes that cotton under-cloth requires an extra one or two days for drying due to higher lacquer absorption.
The ChengYan rice-paste video warns that a high rice-paste ratio in the adhesive increases shrinkage and requires extended drying time.

옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 2:57 ↗

06 Source · 3:54

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Trim excess cloth and level the surface

Remove the vessel from the furo and inspect the edges. Trim any overhanging cloth or cured adhesive with a sharp knife, cutting close to the vessel's edge but not into the wood. For stubborn cured bits that the knife cannot reach, the HwihoCraft workshop notes that a brief application of heat can soften the lacquer enough to scrape it away. Once the excess is trimmed, take two sheets of fine sandpaper and lightly sand the surface of the cloth. The sanding must be light: the goal is to remove the high spots of cured adhesive and to level the cloth surface, not to cut through the cloth or into the wood. Work in the direction of the grain where possible, using short, controlled strokes. Check the surface by running your fingertip across it; it should feel smooth and even, with the thread pattern visible but not raised. If the cloth is still slightly proud of the wood at the edges, a second light pass with the sandpaper will bring it level. Do not over-sand: once the cloth is flush, stop, because the next step (the sabi ground) will fill the remaining thread gaps.

When it is rightA smooth, even surface with no protruding cloth, no rough edges, and no visible step between the cloth area and the surrounding wood. The thread pattern is visible but lies flat. The surface is ready to accept the sabi ground without any high spots that would telegraph through the finish.

When it goes wrongOver-sanding cuts through the cloth and exposes bare wood, which will absorb the next coat unevenly and create a weak spot. Under-sanding leaves a rough, bumpy surface that the sabi ground will not fully mask, resulting in a textured finish where a smooth one is intended. Recovery for over-sanding: fill the exposed area with a thin coat of nori-urushi and re-press a small patch of cloth. Recovery for under-sanding: a second light sanding pass before applying the ground.

Workshops differ

The HwihoCraft workshop uses two sheets of sandpaper and emphasises light sanding to avoid damaging the underlying layers.
The ChengYan material video notes that cutting after drying is convenient for most tested materials, though the cotton-linen blend requires holding one end.

옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 3:54 ↗

07 Source · 4:36

No verified frame Open the source at the cited moment.

Apply the sabi ground to fill the thread gaps

Mix fine clay powder (tonoko) with lacquer to create the sabi ground. The consistency should be thick enough to hold on the surface without running, but workable enough to be scraped into the gaps between the cloth threads. Using the hera, scrape the sabi firmly into the surface, working the mixture into every gap between the warp and weft threads. The thickness is critical: if the coat is too thin, the cloth threads will show through and the surface will remain textured; if it is too thick, the layer will crack as it cures. The HwihoCraft workshop describes the target as an 'appropriate' thickness that fills the gaps without excess. After the first coat has cured in the furo, sand it lightly and apply a second coat. This process is iterative: the HwihoCraft workshop notes that multiple coats are often required to achieve a smooth, even surface, and that each coat must be sanded before the next is applied. The physical effort is significant, especially on larger vessels, and the repetitive scrape-cure-sand cycle is the defining labour of this stage. Continue until the surface is uniformly smooth, with no visible thread pattern and no cracks.

When it is rightA smooth, even ground layer that completely covers the cloth and fills all thread gaps. The surface is uniform in thickness, free of cracks, and ready to receive the subsequent naka-nuri (middle coats) of lacquer. The cloth is no longer visible; it has become an invisible structural layer beneath the ground.

When it goes wrongCracking from excessive thickness: the cracks will propagate through subsequent coats and cannot be repaired by polishing. Recovery: sand the cracked area back to a sound surface and re-apply a thinner coat. Visible cloth threads from insufficient thickness: the surface will feel bumpy and the thread pattern will show through the finish. Recovery: apply an additional thin coat of sabi, cure, and sand.

Workshops differ

The HwihoCraft workshop calls the clay-lacquer ground 'tohwachil' and uses fine yellow clay, applying it with a hera and iterating over multiple coats with sanding between each.
The ChengYan material video notes that for large kanshitsu items using ramie cloth, coarser clay can be used for the scraping pass to address the surface unevenness caused by varying ramie thread thickness.

옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 4:36 ↗옻칠나전공방 휘호 / HwihoCraft at 7:00 ↗

After this stage

Once the final sabi coat is cured and sanded smooth, the cloth-reinforced ground is complete and the piece is ready for the naka-nuri (middle coats) of lacquer. The cloth layer is now invisible and structural: it will never be seen again, but it is what prevents the ground from cracking as the wood moves with seasonal humidity changes. Between the last sabi sanding and the first naka-nuri coat, the piece should rest in a stable environment for at least a day to ensure the ground is fully dry and any residual moisture has equalised. The furo should be cleaned and reconditioned before the next curing cycle.

Terminology

布着せnunokise: Cloth reinforcement: the stage in which woven fabric is bonded to the wooden substrate as a structural backing for the ground layers.
糊漆nori-urushi: Lacquer mixed with rice-paste adhesive; the standard adhesive for attaching cloth in nunokise.
麦漆mugi-urushi: Lacquer mixed with wheat-flour adhesive; an alternative to nori-urushi, used in some traditions and for structural filling.
生漆ki-urushi: Raw, unrefined lacquer sap; used as the base for all lacquer mixtures and, for very thin fabrics, as the sole adhesive.
錆sabi: The tonoko-and-lacquer putty ground applied over the cloth to fill thread gaps and create a smooth surface for the lacquer coats.
箆hera: A flat spatula used to spread, press, and scrape lacquer, adhesive, and ground materials.
風呂furo: The humidity- and temperature-controlled curing cabinet in which lacquer and adhesive are allowed to cross-link.
木地kiji: The bare wooden substrate onto which the cloth and subsequent layers are built.
下地shitaji: The collective ground layers (cloth, sabi, and preparatory coats) beneath the finished lacquer coats.
옻칠ottchil: Korean natural-lacquer work; the Korean tradition in which nunokise-equivalent cloth wrapping is a standard intermediate step.
나전칠기najeonchilgi: Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware; the cloth-reinforcement stage is a prerequisite for the shell-inlay work that follows.

Full glossary →

Left open

What the sources do not settle.

These are limits of the source material rather than steps omitted. No cited workshop resolves them, so the method above stops where the evidence does instead of filling the gap with something plausible.

The sources do not specify the exact temperature and humidity set-points for the furo / chiljang. The HwihoCraft workshop describes the conditions as 'high temperature and high humidity' and 'comfortable,' but no numerical values are given. Practitioners will need to follow their own tradition's or
The ChengYan material-evaluation video tests seven fabrics but does not demonstrate the full application procedure for each. The interaction between a specific fabric's stiffness and the optimal pressure applied with the hera is not quantified; this remains a matter of tactile experience.
The KQ_-nufVGbQ porcelain-repair video demonstrates mugi-urushi (wheat-flour-and-lacquer) as a structural adhesive and filler but explicitly avoids cloth reinforcement due to the fragility of the substrate. Whether mugi-urushi can serve as a direct substitute for nori-urushi in standard wooden nunok
The exact number of sabi coats required varies with cloth thickness, clay particle size, and vessel size. The HwihoCraft workshop describes the process as iterative without giving a fixed count, and the ChengYan material video notes that cotton under-cloth may require about seven lacquer layers to m