Art in the Garden
Urushi: Masterpieces of Lacquerware
by Kazumi Murose,Living National Treasure of Japan
Fall 2014

Urushi: Masterpieces of Lacquerware
by Kazumi Murose, Living National Treasureof Japan
Urushi: Masterpieces of Lacquerware by Kazumi Murose,
Living National Treasure of Japan is the second in a seriesof three exhibitions featuring Japanese lacquer, aunique art form that is still little known outside
Japan. It is also the first time the Garden has evershown work by a Living National Treasure, and Mr.
Murose’s first solo exhibition in the United States.
K A Z U M I M U RO S EKazumi Murose was born in 1950, the son of an
accomplished lacquer artist. His decision to takeon the family trade was made at a time in Japan
when most young men were eager to leave the worldof tradition behind to pursue modern careers intechnology and business. Nonetheless, in 1970, he
entered the Tokyo University of Fine Arts to study
urushi with the legendary Matsuda Gonroku (18961986).
Murose specializes in the technique of maki-e(sprinkled gold and silver decoration), and raden(inlaid shell)—two traditional techniques for theembellishment of urushi. His innovative methods
in the use of this ancient and sustainable natural
material have resulted in remarkable new designs

2A RT IN THE GA RDEN

for contemporary purposes, including the limited
edition objects he creates for Vertu, a Parisian firm
specializing in luxury objects.
“In my work, I use not only motifs from plants andanimals- but I also try to create spatial impressionsof sunlight, wind and water.”
In 2008, the Japanese government recognized
Kazumi Murose as a Living National Treasure,the popular expression that describes an official
designation that goes only to those who hold thevery highest level of skill in a traditional craft.
Living National Treasure is the popular term used
to describe those designated as Juyo Mukei Bunkazai
Hojisha, or Bearers of Intangible Cultural Assets.
Beginning in 1950, the Japanese Government hasawarded this honor annually to craftsmen andwomen who have demonstrated the highest level ofaccomplishment in a traditional craft. The purposeof this award is as much to preserve an art form
as it is to honor an individual’s accomplishment.
The bearer of this designation agrees to carry on
their craft and pass it on to the next generation byteaching and lecturing throughout Japan and aroundthe world.

T H E C R A F T OF U RUS H I

Urushi is a national material obtained from the sap ofrhus verniciflua trees (sumac family). It does not dry
immediately in contact with air, but hardens slowly
in a humid environment to an extremely durable,
waterproof finish that can be highly polished. In
its raw state, urushi is toxic, presenting craftsmen
with their first challenge in the training process.
According to art historian, Joe Earle, “Lacquerwork
is perhaps the most complex of all Japan’s traditionalindustries, demanding the combined skills of many
specialist workers. Just to create a good black- or redlacquer surface requires at least thirty-three stages,

including smoothing the wood base, covering it withcloth, applying powdered clay and lacquer to thecloth to hide its texture, then applying increasingly
fine grades of lacquer mixed with different powders,and finally adding several applications of bestquality lacquer. As each of the twenty or even thirtycoats is applied the lacquer must be given time toharden, and must then be polished with a rangeof substances, starting with abrasive stones andfinishing with powdered staghorn and oil.” All thishas to be completed before any designs are applied
to the surface—including the maki-e gold decoration
for which Murose is famous.

Traditions are not something we should keep—rather something that we continually create. Being passed on
unchanged is ‘inheritance,’ while ‘tradition’ takes on a different shape. That is why the word tradition means thecreation of new things… in an hundred years what we make today will be a part of tradition.
K A Z U M I

FA L L 2 0 1 4

M U R O S E3

S P ON S OR E D BY :The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation; William G. Gilmore
Foundation; Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust; Jackson Foundation; ANA;
Japan Foundation

Diane Durston
Curator of Culture, Art, and Education
ddurston@japanesegarden.org

All Photos: Jonathan Ley

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