Kayo Takahashi

Covered Circular Box with Design in Zonsei “Sways”

  • Lacquerware
  • Presented in 2018
  • Contact for Price

Category Lacquerware
Year Presented 2018
Exhibition The 65th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition

  • Zonsei

    In zonsei lacquerwork, the outlines of colored motifs are engraved to produce additional decorative effects. Typically, one of two techniques is used. In the first, the artisan applies the motifs in colored lacquer before using a carving tool called a zonsei ken to incise the outlines of the design or add decorative line engravings. In the second, the artisan creates motifs using the kinma technique, which are then outlined or engraved in the same fashion. Zonsei, like carved lacquer (chōshitsu) and kinma, is a technique associated primarily with Takamatsu in Kagawa prefecture.

Kayo Takahashi

photo Kayo Takahashi

Making pieces using kinma and zonsei, which are techniques where layers of lacquer are applied, patterns are carved with a knife, filled with color lacquer, and finally polished. Mainly using plants for the designs, expressing them with delicate lines and color lacquer.