漆
lacquer
Kanji 1334
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
This richly illustrated essay features photos of rare lacquered works, including a suit of armor with an image of the deity Fudo-Myoo, a cabinet shaped like a monk's backpack, a tiered picnic set, and a large seated Buddha. Find out about Zeshin Shibata's lacquer art and methods of decorating lacquerwork with gold and silver. Also learn about lacquer toxicity and the meaning of "japanning"!
Revision history:
Sept. 28, 2023: p. 2: Changed the Akutagawa section to reflect that "After Death" is a story, not a novel. Also provided the full quotation from that story. The English translation didn't need to change.
Sept. 8, 2023: p. 15: Fixed a typo.
June 29, 2021: p. 19: Deleted a sentence referring to a now-discarded etymology by Henshall.
Jan. 22, 2020:
- p. 2: Etymology Box: Replaced the old Henshall etymology with the new one.
- p. 23: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
Mar. 25, 2016: Originally published.
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