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Kintsugi 9 - Summary: About types of lacquer (Urushi)




The lacquer used in Kintsugi has three uses:

  • Glue

  • The role of putty to fill in gaps

  • decoration

The lacquer used varies depending on its purpose. I will explain each of them.



1. Raw lacquer


It is pronounced as raw pure lacquer (kijo mi urushi) or raw lacquer (kiurushi). It is the basic so-called lacquer, often simply called urushi. Generally, when we say urushi, we are referring to this. This is the most versatile type of lacquer, and is mainly used for repairs as adhesives and putty.


The materials that are mixed based on raw lacquer are as follows.

Name

Ingredients to mix

Purpose

Article

Mugi urushi

​Flour, water, raw lacquer

​Use as glue. It also serves as the base for kokuso.

Kokuso

Mugi lacquer, wood flour, Sanpenji flour

This will be putty to fill in the missing parts.

Sabi urushi

Mugi lacquer, tonoko, water

​Smooth the surface by applying it on the broken part of the barley lacquer and on the chipped part of the kokuso.



2. Kuro-iro lacquer (Kuroroiro urushi)


It is pronounced roiro urushi. It is characterized by its jet black color, and Roiro lacquer is made by mixing equal amounts of raw lacquer. Roiro lacquer is applied over the rust in a process called undercoating. Roiro lacquer has a film that prevents moisture from penetrating.


Name

Ingredients to mix

Purpose

Roiro urushi

Raw lacquer

It is applied over the rust in a process called undercoating. Roiro lacquer has a film that prevents moisture from penetrating.



3. E-urushi


It is pronounced E-urushi. It is made by mixing raw lacquer with a pigment called Bengara. It is vermilion in color. This is for decoration and is applied as a base for sowing powder. This is called subbing. It is also possible to add a design.



4. lacquer for glass


Kintsugi can also repair smooth materials such as glass or magnetic materials, but adhesives and putty do not work well with ordinary raw lacquer-based materials. Therefore, we use lacquer for glass.







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I am Takamago Kintsugi Lab who loves Kintsugi, traditional Japanese crafts, and pottery. We will continue to share useful information to Kintsugi friends around the world. I want to connect with my Kintsugi friends.

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