356 ART INDUSTRY AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS. 



vessels and then lacquered. In Wakamatsu and Yonezawa, many 

 of the Wan, or soup bowls of the Japanese, are made out of Buna. 

 They are heavier and less durable than those made from Keaki 

 or Katsura {Cercidiphylhim japonicuin). Only the wood of the 

 camphor laurel is entirely unsuitable for lacquering on account of 

 its exuding camphor gum and its previously mentioned property 

 of thinning the varnish. 



Other articles made from stiff paper pulp, e.g., from Ikkambari, a 

 sort of papier mache, and Kami-kawa or paper leather, are lacquered, 

 also some from Tsuno, horn, and Bekko, tortoise-shell, from bamboo 

 cane or Take, whose outer skin must first be taken off, from Tetsu, 

 iron and Aka-gane, copper, the various unglazed clay wares, 

 especially porcelain (in Nagasaki and Nagoya chiefly), also 

 Banko-yaki and common earthenware (in Ise and Nagoya). 



The following important rules are observed by the lacquerer : 



1. Every coat must be laid on evenly and then gone over cross- 

 wise with the spatula or brush, first in one direction and then after- 

 wards in the other. 



2. No new coat must be put on before the last one is dry. 



3. It can be best determined when a smooth surface is dry 

 by the condensation and disappearance of moisture breathed 

 upon it. 



4. Only the groundwork can be dried in the open air or direct 

 sunlight, and then only when the coating contains very little or no 

 lac admixture. 



5. The drying of all genuine lacquer coats must take place in the 

 damp, unwarmed atmosphere of a chest, cupboard or chamber. In 

 order to secure this the chest is laid on its side and washed with a 

 wet cloth. Then the lacquered articles are put in, and the cover, 

 which has been washed also, is closed. The drying cupboard with 

 shelves is treated in the same way. 



6. Such an arrangement serves to keep off draughts of air, dust, 

 and light during the drying. 



7. Every fine, finishing lacquer-varnish before it is laid on must 

 be pressed once or twice through Yoshino-gami, (a fine porous but 

 strong Broussonettia bast paper) by turning at both ends in an op- 

 posite direction. Moderately warmed, it flows more freely, and 

 hastens the process. 



8. After almost every new coating, according to its nature, comes 

 rubbing off, or polishing with polishing stone, with magnolia char- 

 coal or burned hartshorn (in the first two cases of course with 

 the addition of water), according as this operation follows ground- 

 work or a later coating. 



9. The carefully lacquered article when finished must not in any 

 wise reveal the make or material of its framework, must be free 

 from accidental unevennesses, cracks and spots, must have a mirror- 

 like surface and not change in drying nor by heating with warm 

 water. Finally, when breathed upon the moisture must disappear 



