Wajima Lacquer Ware
Although the oldest piece of Wajima Nuri is the shunuri-tobira made in the Muromachi period (1392-1573), other items and tools have been found during surveys of archaeological sites that date back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). Lacquer ware is therefore known to have been made much earlier. During the Edo period (1600-1868), Wajima Nuri was known for its durability and was being used in the homes of farmers and merchants up and down the country. By the end of the 19th century it was also being used in restaurants and inns and designs gradually became grander and more decorative.
Yamanaka Lacquer Ware
The origins of this craft date back to the second half of the 16th century, when a group of craftsmen moved into the area in search of good materials and began turning bowls and other things.
Kanazawa Lacquer Ware
The Kaga clan, which held sway over the area now known as Ishikawa Prefecture, actively promoted the arts and many crafts. Kanazawa Shikki was just one of those and dates back to the beginning of the Edo period (1600-1868).
Hida Shunkei Lacquer Ware
The origins of this distinctive lacquer ware were the result of a chance discovery. At the beginning of the 17th century, a head carpenter who worked on the building of temples and shrines in the castle town of Takayama, was surprised to find that when he literally peeled a piece of sawara cypress apart, it produced an interesting textural effect. He made it up into a tray and lightly lacquered the surfaces.
Echizen Lacquer Ware
It is thought that this particular lacquer ware dates back to the 6th century. A lacquerer was ordered to recoat the kanmuri or formal headpiece of the Emperor of the times. The lacquerer also presented a black lacquered bowl to the Emperor who recognized the quality of his work and it is thought that it was this encouragement which led to the establishment of Echizen Shikki as an individual ware.
Wakasa Lacquer Ware
The making of Wakasa Nuri began at the beginning of the Edo period (1600-1868), when lacquerers of the Obama clan near Wakasa Bay started decorating their work with designs depicting elements of the ocean floor, having got the idea from techniques used in Chinese lacquer ware.
Kyoto Lacquer Ware
The maki-e technique of laying down gold and silver powders was preceded by techniques which first came into being during the Nara period (710-794), when Japan was under the influence of Tang dynasty China. The same techniques continued to be used and were developed during the Heian period (794-1185), when the capital was moved to Heian-kyo, now Kyoto.
Kishu Lacquer Ware
Wood turners settled in the vicinity of present day Shiga Prefecture during the Muromachi period (1392-1573) and the turbulent times before the end of the 16th century. These craftsmen started making wooden soup bowls using the plentiful supplies of Japanese cypresses (Chamaecyparis Spach) found locally. This led to the production of shibujiwan bowls, which were primed with the tannin-rich juice extracted from persimmons.
Ouchi Lacquer Ware
During the Muromachi period (1392-1573), Ouchi, who was a prominent figure in the area corresponding to present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture, promoted trade with Korea and Ming dynasty China. He encouraged the making of this particular lacquer ware for export and, although this trade finally died out, the skills which had been learned were carried over into the Edo period (1600-1868), and are still with us today.
Kagawa Lacquer Ware
Kagawa Shikki started at the end of the Edo period (1600-1868), by Tamakaji Zokoku, a famous lacquerer with the development of new techniques that came into being by combining traditional Japanese techniques with skills such as kinma and zonsei which had been brought to Japan from Thailand and China.
Ryukyu Lacquer Ware
It is thought that Ryukyu Shikki developed with the sending of tributes to China that began in the 1300s. In 1609, the court of Shuri established a lacquer ware workshop and this led to the production of goods which were both technically and artistically of a high standard. In addition, there was also a private industry centered on the Wakasamachi district of Naha.