These lacquered items are made using the traditional Hida shunkei lacquerware techniques of Hida Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. Shunkei lacquerware is coated with clear lacquer to bring out the beauty of the wood.
Hinoki cypress and sawara cypress are used to craft magemono bent-wood products. First, thin strips of wood are steeped in warm water until they become flexible enough to bend. The bent strips are then fastened together with thin slivers of cherry tree bark. The Omae line of products is crafted by an artisan in his nineties who has a long history of working with this technique.
The transparency of the lacquer increases over time, allowing for the wood grain to stand out more, while the colors gradually become more subdued. The two coloring variations of shunkei are produced by dyeing white Kiso hinoki cypress wood in yellow or red before the lacquer is applied. In contrast with heavier lacquerware, the softness and lightness of the hinoki wood embodies the true essence of Hida shunkei.
