LACQUER WORK. 339 



the purposes and excellence of the articles it serves to adorn so 

 manifold, as in the case of the Japanese lacquer-work, and the in- 

 dustry which gives it value. 



The great superiority of the Japanese lacquer wares is not only 

 the result of several excellent properties of the peculiar lacquer,^ 

 but is also based on the careful manner in which that excellent 

 material is used, Japanese articles of this kind are distinguished 

 by greater lightness and elegance of appearance ; by their solidity, 

 and the beauty and spirit of their decorations ; principally, however, 

 by several very valuable elements in the material itself. To these 

 belong : — 



1. Its great hardness, in which the Japanese lacquer varnish 

 far excels all others, even the copal, tar, and asphaltum, without 

 showing brittleness or becoming cracked. 



2. Its high lustre and the mirror-like surface of the carefully laid- 

 on lacquer coating, especially the black, qualities which are pre- 

 served under the most different atmospheric influences for decades, 

 and even centuries. 



3. Its resistance to a number of agencies which attack and 

 destroy our common resinous lacquer varnish. 



Thus the Japanese lacquer is not injured by boiling water, or 

 hot cigar ashes ; it withstands even alcoholic liquids of all sorts, 

 and acids, at least when cold. The hot, sharp, salty soup of the 

 Japanese makes as little impression on the lacquered wooden dish 

 from which they eat it, as does the heated sake. According to 

 Professor H. W. Vogel, the simple black Japanese lacquered dish 

 is proof against acid and alcohol, and serves an excellent purpose 

 on this account in photo-chemistry. 



It is by these properties, quite apart from the artistic adornment, 

 that Japanese and Chinese lacquer wares may be recognised and 

 distinguished from their European imitations, which are brought 

 into the market from Holland, from Spa, Forbach, and other 

 localities ; for all these imitations are prepared from resinous var- 

 nishes which do not share in the properties of the Japanese. 



All Japanese lacquer wares are called Nuri-mono, less frequently 

 Uru-shi-saiku. Urushi signifies varnish — nuri, to spread over, es- 

 pecially with varnish ; mono, the work ; saiku, the wares or the 

 manufacture. The lacquerers are divided into two general classes, 

 viz., Nuri-mono-shi or Nushi-ya, and Makiye-shi. The first sup- 

 ply the groundwork and common lacquering. Those belonging 

 to this class understand nothing of the business of the others, and 

 only in exceptional cases employ precious metals for decoration. 

 The Makiye-shi or lacquer painters stand higher. They understand 

 also all the work of the Nuri-mono-shi, but are employed mostly 

 with the decoration of the primed lacquer ware, especially with 



* "Japanese lacquer is not like our copal varnish, an artificial mixture of 

 resin, fatty oils, and turpentine, but in reality a ready-made product of nature." 

 — Wagoner. 



