1883.] PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 47 7 



air closet to harden. In this way a very hard, gritty surface is obtained, 

 affording an excellent ground for the succeeding coat. 



This process is not applied in making inferior goods. For these a 

 mixture of the powder with glue is sometimes used, and for tbis reason 

 cheap ware sometimes blisters when used with hot water, the glue 

 swelling if the water reaches it. Similar blistering may also be occa- 

 sioned by the natural gam of the lacquer if it should be present in ex- 

 cessive quantity. 



The next process consists in covering the entire box with two coats 

 of lacquer, containing a finer powder known as tonoko, which is a kind 

 of ochre much used in Japan for cleaning and polishing. This is like- 

 wise evenly spread with the liera. Three coats of this are applied over 

 the joints. The object of this process is to secure an even, smooth- 

 grained surface for subsequent work. The surface is finally rubbed 

 down with a kind of stone called toishi. 



■ The parts that are not to receive any decoration are now ready for 

 the finishing applications of lacquer. The other parts are next covered 

 with a black lacquer, naka muri urushi, which you will see is in this 

 instance applied to the outer surfaces and top edges of the sides. The 

 lacquer used is shitaji urushi mixed with a kind of black lacquer known 

 as lionkuro, lion meaning not false, Tcuro, black. This is probably the 

 best kind of roiro lacquer. It is applied with a brush, and requires to 

 be rubbed down. The specimen has not been rubbed. 



Two coats of black lacquer are now applied. The first is roiro put on 

 with a broad brush. This dries with a brilliant reflecting surface. 

 When quite hard the second application is made, and in this, while 

 still soft, the designs are impressed. I use the word impressed because 

 in the Wakasa lacquer there is no painting or drawing, but the figures 

 are produced in a very curious manner. The white decoration is applied 

 by dropping egg-shell powder in patches here and there. This is done 

 very skillfully by the hand. The other designs are made by pressing 

 various forms of leaves into the soft surface. Thus, the radiating or 

 wheel like pattern is produced by so arranging the needle-like leaves of 

 the pine, the more complex leaf-pattern with the leaves of an evergreen 

 (Thuya orientalis), while many other effects are made by scattering over 

 the surface husks of rice, and these mingled with very short pine 

 needles. The mother of pearl from shells is also used. You will under- 

 stand this perfectly by inspection of the specimen which shows this 

 stage of the work. The designs become more or less modified by the 

 subsequent operations. 



The lacquer retains the impressions thus produced, when, after the 

 leaves, etc., have been imbedded about a day, everything except the egg- 

 shell powder and mother of pearl is removed. The article is then put 

 in the moist closet until it is thoroughly hardened, which may require 

 ten days or a fortnight. The egg-shell is in little heaps, the leaf im- 

 pressions are beueath the general surface. It is now necessary to nil 



