INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING AND APPLYING THE LAC. 



The accompanying reproduction is from "Rein's Japan," 

 and is from original instruments in the Royal Industrial Art 

 Museum in Berlin. 



No. i is a sharp kitchen knife ; No. 2, a gouge or chisel ; 

 No. 3, shears ; Nos. 4 and 5, wooden spatulas ; No. 6, a bamboo 

 spatula; No. 7, a surface brush made from human hair; No. 8, 

 palette made of tortoise shell or buffalo horn, to be carried on the 

 hand ; No. 9, spoon for putting on the gold or silver dust. The 

 above, with various sized brushes made of deer and rat's hair 

 form the implements used in applying the lac, gold, silver leaf, 

 etc. Nos. 10 and 11 are used in collecting the lac and have al- 

 ready been described. 



RULES TO BE OBSERVED BY THE WORKMEN. 



1. The surface must be brushed over equally, first in one 

 direction and then in the other. 



2. The old coat must be thoroughly dried before a new 

 one is applied. 



3. The drying is best conducted in vapor of steam. 



4. Only the ground coat can be dried in the open air or 

 sun, and that only when the coating contains very little or no lac. 



5. The peculiar lac properties result from drying without 

 heat in a chest or closed room with wet cloths placed by the 

 side of the object or on the sides of the room. 



6. Dust, light and air are to be excluded while the varnish 

 is hardening. 



7. For fine finish the varnish must be strained once or twice 

 through fine porous bast or paper. 



8. After every new coat the surface should be polished with 

 charcoal or burnt horn, usually with free application of water. 



9. The finished object must not show the quality or the 

 condition of the base must be free from ridges or specks. The 

 complete mirror must not change by contact with hot water. 



Wagner states that the first coat is rubbed down with pow- 

 dered pumice stone and that the final coat is polished with bone 

 ash and charcoal and finished with the palm of the hand and the 

 tips of the fingers. 



