Pigment is kneaded in with a wooden stick for even distribution through the colored lacquer.
A lacquerware piece by Ōnishi Isao. He does more than just apply the lacquer; he also shapes the base vessel. Most lacquerware producers break up that labor, but Ōnishi does everything himself. This piece was made from nearly 100 thin layers shaped using the magewa technique of steam-bending wood. Most producers use joinery or lathing techniques to form vessels, but this bending process allows the wood in Ōnishi’s pieces to breathe more actively and last for centuries.
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