During this period, the Buddhist sculpture masterpiece Statue of Ashura was created using only lacquer and cloth. This statue is world famous as a dry lacquer statue made by wrapping a clay core with layers of hemp, which was then covered with a lacquer base coat called kokuso (a mixture of lacquer, sawdust, and other materials), after which the details were refined, and then a coat of lacquer was added as finishing. The statue’s lonely and painful eyes that stare straight into the observer’s are filled with sincerity, as well as expressing a prayer of pity for the ephemerality of humankind.

As the era that saw the peak of the Fujiwara clan’s prosperity, many famous lacquer works were crafted during the Heian period. In particular, the Katawaguruma Makie Raden Tebako (Cosmetics Box with Design of Wheels Half-submerged in a Stream) is truly elegant in terms of both its shape and painting design. It provides a glimpse into the lifestyle of Heian nobility.

With regard to buildings, the Konjiki-Do (Golden Hall) of Chuson-ji Temple, built by Fujiwara Kiyohira at the end of the Heian period, creates a space featuring lacquer artwork, with the entire hall covered in makie lacquering, mother-of-pearl inlay, and thick gilding. The overwhelming impact of this decoration creates a “land of perfect bliss” that is not of this world. As a building that stands at the pinnacle of lacquer art, the Konjiki-Do’s hall continues to dazzle radiantly today following major restorations during the Showa period (1926–1989). In charge of the Showa period restorations was the late Shogyo Oba (who passed away in 2012), a human national treasure who also happened to be my teacher during my university days. Recalling the restorations, he said, “It was a fearsome restoration project we were undertaking,” expressing admiration for the high lacquering skills of the day and awe at the enormous scale of the project.

In addition, Japan’s oldest story, Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter, author unknown) contains a section describing the inside of a house richly decorated with makie lacquering, indicating that at that time in history, there already existed a highly elite group of craftsmen involved in lacquer craftwork, a special group of artisans known as urushibe. The explanatory notes to Taketori Monogatari published by Iwanami Bunko suggest that “the author’s ability to ‘create beautiful rooms painted with lacquer, the walls decorated in makie’, creating a gorgeous fantasy at will, is surely because the author himself was someone with connections to the samurai class that was involved in lacquer work,” inferring that the author was perhaps descended from the nuribe. This is a profoundly interesting inference, and if true, we who are involved in the lacquer craft can be proud to have such a wonderful person of letters among our predecessors.

The Edo period was one of stability in Japanese history, thus fostering various aspects of Japanese culture to blossom. In the field of lacquerware, too, artists such as those in the Rinpa School of painting—inspired by lacquerer and craftsman Hon’ami Koetsu—emerged, producing unique lacquerware for the world to admire. As demonstrated by funabashi makie suzuribako (writing box), the novel shape and design created a work of art that exceeded the sphere of craftwork.

A wonderful lacquered item representative of the Edo period is the “pill box.” Small in size, they were made using the ikkanbari technique, in which numerous layers of Japanese paper are pasted one on top of the other to create the body that is then covered with a fine makie lacquer. These pill boxes were used by not only the samurai class but also Edo’s high-ranking nobility as a status symbol and to carry around medicines.

In addition, lacquer-painted domestic goods came to be produced in regions throughout the country. Such utensils remain indispensable to Japanese culture. From chopsticks and bowls to furniture and architectural interior fixtures, these lacquered objects continue to enrich our everyday lives as aspects of Japan’s unique culture.

After the age of the samurai drew to a close, Japan opened its doors as a constitutional monarchy. Lacquerware was introduced and presented to the world as a representative Japanese craft at expositions held in various European countries, winning various awards. Subsequently, sophisticated makie techniques gained greater recognition in Western Europe. Representative Meiji artists Zeshin Shibata, Shisui Rokkaku, and Shosai Hakusan established the Nihon Bijutsuin (Japan Art Institute), constructing the foundation for modern-day lacquer craftwork.