This tray features a fuki-urushi finish that brings out the beauty of the castor aralia wood grain. Fuki-urushi is a lacquering technique in which raw lacquer is brushed on wood, the excess lacquer is wiped off, and the wood is then dried and polished. After that, lacquer is applied again, in a process that is repeated over and over. The more repetitions, the glossier and darker the lacquer coating becomes. Lacquer seeps into the wood and strengthens it, providing a waterproof, stain-resistant finish. Yet the coating on the wood is so thin that the rich texture of the grain can be seen clearly. Ordinarily, fuki-urushi gives wood the warm amber color of raw lacquer. For Sumi, we used this process with black lacquer to give the tray a shiny black look, as if it were stained with sumi ink. Thanks to its fuki-urushi finish, small scratches and dents are barely noticeable, making this product highly suitable for everyday use.
