Carved Enjyu Bowl

Here’s another bowl made from a unique piece of wood that I picked up from my favorite wood dealer here in Tokyo.  The wood is 槐 enjyu, also known as Japanese Pagoda tree.  Enjyu has similar grain to elm, and a nice light brown color.  I’ve only had a chance to work with it a few times, so my experience is limited.  But so far it’s been really beautiful material to work with.  Easy to turn on the lathe, and easy to carve.

Natural Urushi Lacquer Finish

This bowl is part of a small batch of bowls and trays that have been finished with natural urushi lacquer.

Urushi is a finish that comes from the sap of urushi trees.  Urushi sap contains a chemical compound called urushiol; the same chemical that gives poison ivy it’s bad reputation.  In a liquid state urushi lacquer can cause severe reactions in people allergic to urushiol.  However once fully cured, the urushiol becomes inert and safe to handle.

Once applied to the wood’s surface, urushi requires a humid environment to properly cure.  We place our urushi ware in a muro; a temperature and humidity controlled box.  After a few days the urushi dries and becomes safe to handle.

Urushi is strong against acids, alkali, alcohol, and has a high temperature resistance.  These strengths have made urushi lacquer a traditional finish for daily use on soup bowls, spoons, cups, etc. in Japan and China for hundreds of years.