Urushi Lacquer

Urushi lacquer is a natural resin used in hand applied finish techniques out of old Japan and Asia on lacquerware, furniture and  decorative objects with infinite forms and possibilities. It has  long been regarded as a symbol of elegance with a soft warm beauty and  depth that is impossible with the use of any other materials. Raw urushi is a concentrated sap from a tree in the sumac family that grows in southeast Asia. It is not to be confused with European lacquer, japaning or the commercial nitrocellulose lacquer. Working with urushi is very time consuming and often takes  months  to complete a project because of the unique and extensive dry times.