Lacquerware has nearly disappeared from the modern Japanese household. However, there is one exception: the bowl from which people sip their soul food, miso soup. Wooden lacquer soup bowls are lighter than ceramic bowls. Also, they are easy to hold even when full of hot soup, because they do not readily transmit heat. Moreover, their smooth texture is pleasing to the hands and lips. The wooden lacquer bowl is thus the ideal vessel for drinking soup in Japan, where it is customary to hold the bowl in your hands and bring it to your lips.
Tsubaki is produced in the lacquerware center of Yamanaka, Ishikawa Prefecture, known for its excellent woodwork. Yamanaka artisans employ a unique woodworking process known as tatekidori, in which they slice a log in circular sections and cut out the shape of the bowl in the direction of the growth of the wood. When the finished bowl is placed on a table, it stands in the same vertical direction as that of the original tree. Although this method entails a less than efficient use of materials, sections cut from a log in this manner are not easily deformed even when thinly shaved, making them resistant to impact. A woodworker shapes the bowl on a lathe, another artisan carefully applies a base coating, and then a lacquer painter applies several layers of lacquer. The result is a product made by a traditional method at a reasonable price for everyday use.
Vermilion and black are the typical colors of Japan’s lacquerware, a tradition that has not changed since ancient times. Inspired by the country’s moist climate, these uniquely rich yet subdued hues are truly the most characteristic of Japanese colors.
