Kanshitsu (dry lacquer) is a traditional Japanese technique for creating forms using lacquer, characterized by building shapes by layering hemp cloth and lacquer without using wood or metal cores. Widely used for Buddhist statue production during the Nara period, it occupies an important position in art history due to its ability to create lightweight, sturdy, and smooth forms.
In recent years, re-evaluation has progressed in sculptural art and design fields, being utilized in contemporary expression as well. This article provides a detailed explanation of Kanshitsu’s origins and history, representative techniques, and new appeal in contemporary times.
Table of Contents
What is Kanshitsu (Dry Lacquer)? – Three-Dimensional Expression Technique Where Lacquer and Hemp Cloth Create Forms
Kanshitsu (dry lacquer) is a uniquely Japanese lacquer art technique using lacquer as the main material, layering hemp cloth and wood powder to create forms. It is said to have originated when introduced from China during the Nara period and used for Buddhist statue and altar fitting production.
Characterized by being lighter than wood or metal and enabling free-form modeling, it was applied to vessels and furnishings after the Heian period. By layering and hardening lacquer and hemp cloth many times, it creates sturdy structures, and by applying decoration with gold leaf and colored lacquer, it demonstrates high artistry.
In contemporary times, it is being re-evaluated as sculptural art material by sculptors and art craftspeople, attracting attention as a technique bridging tradition and contemporary sculpture.
Origins and History – From Nara Period Kanshitsu Buddhist Statues to Craft Techniques
Kanshitsu technique origins trace back to Nara period Buddhist art. Based on technology introduced from Tang China, “datsukanshitsu statues” (hollow dry lacquer statues) were created, forming shapes with hemp cloth and lacquer without using wooden cores.
Representative examples include Kofukuji Temple’s Ashura statue and Toshodaiji Temple’s seated statue of Ganjin, both achieving lightweight yet precise modeling. Because freer forms than wood carving were possible and soft expressions of facial features and drapery lines could be expressed, they were valued by Buddhist sculptors of the time.
After the medieval period, mainstream Buddhist statue production shifted to wood carving, but Kanshitsu was inherited in the vessel and lacquer art fields, also applied to tea ceremony utensils and furnishings. The source of that technology certainly breathes in contemporary lacquer art sculpture as well. Reference: Kanshitsu – Nara City Official Website (Industrial Policy Division)
Technique Characteristics – Lightness and Strength Created by Hemp Cloth and Lacquer
Kanshitsu’s greatest characteristic lies in structures combining hemp cloth and lacquer. First, on a clay or wooden mold serving as prototype, hemp cloth is layered with mugi-urushi (lacquer mixed with wheat flour), repeatedly drying and polishing for forming.
Subsequently, removing the internal prototype and finishing into hollow structure is “datsukanshitsu” (hollow dry lacquer). Lightweight yet strong vessel bodies are completed, and this “laminated structure by lacquer resin” is reasonable design also connecting to modern composite materials (FRP). As a simplified technique, there is also “mokushin kanshitsu” (wood-core dry lacquer) finishing while retaining wooden cores.
Additionally, because lacquer itself excels in waterproofness and preservation, also being strong against acids and alkalis, long-term preservation is possible even in Japan’s humid environment. Surfaces are decorated by sprinkling gold or silver powder or repeatedly coating with vermillion lacquer, enabling modeling transcending craft and art boundaries. Kanshitsu represents advanced material technology fusing function and beauty.
Contemporary Kanshitsu Works – Modeling Possibilities Expanding Beyond Tradition
Contemporary lacquer artists reinterpret Kanshitsu techniques from new perspectives. For example, hybrid works combining lacquer with resin or glass fiber and translucent three-dimensional sculptures utilizing hemp cloth texture are emerging.
Because Kanshitsu has no wood substrate, it has high form freedom, being suited to contemporary art expression with its specialty in curved surfaces and organic forms. Representative artists include human national treasure Otomaru Kodo, Shibata Zeshin, Onishi Isao, and other masters pursuing sculptural expression of lacquer.
In contemporary times, presentations at exhibitions and international art fairs attract renewed attention as “sculptural expression through lacquer” transcending traditional craft frameworks. Kanshitsu is a symbolic technique where ancient skills continue evolving today.
Kanshitsu Characteristics and Appeal
Kanshitsu’s appeal lies in lightness and modeling freedom unattainable by other lacquer techniques, and lacquer’s characteristic deep luster. Because hemp cloth and lacquer are layered and hardened in many coats, it maintains self-supporting shapes without using wood substrate, resulting in extremely lightweight yet sturdy finishes.
Therefore, it is characterized by wide application from three-dimensional works to daily-use vessels. Surface glossiness and decoration by gold powder and vermillion lacquer increase depth with aging, creating unique character.
Furthermore, being environmentally friendly and repairable material is also being re-evaluated from contemporary sustainable perspectives. Kanshitsu is “living lacquer art” that, while being classical technique, continues evolving today.
Balancing Lightness and Durability – Sturdiness Created by Lacquer’s Laminated Structure
Kanshitsu is extremely sturdy despite delicate appearance. The secret lies in “laminated structure” alternately layering lacquer and hemp cloth. When lacquer dries, it resinifies and firmly wraps hemp cloth fibers, achieving surprisingly light finishes while obtaining metal-like hardness.
Due to this characteristic, it suits crafts frequently carried like Buddhist statues and tea ceremony utensils. Furthermore, by adding lacquer’s waterproofness and preservation properties, it achieves durability maintaining forms for hundreds of years.
Curves and details difficult to reproduce in wood or metal can be modeled with Kanshitsu’s unique flexibility as a major advantage. Kanshitsu, combining visual softness with material strength, truly embodies “robust elegance.”
Free Modeling Beauty – Sculptural Expression of Lacquer Without Wood Substrate
Another appeal of Kanshitsu is the freedom of “substrate removal” creating forms without using wood substrate. Craftspeople and artists create prototypes with clay or plaster, layering hemp cloth over them to generate forms as envisioned.
By removing prototypes after drying, lightweight structures with hollow spaces are completed. Therefore, applications are expanding not only to traditional tea ceremony utensils but also to contemporary art three-dimensional works.
Particularly among female artists and young lacquer artists, works retaining organic shapes and cloth texture are popular, with many expressions bringing out material power itself. Kanshitsu is a uniquely Japanese artistic approach treating lacquer not as mere paint but as “modeling material,” attracting renewed attention as an existence connecting craft and sculpture.
Contemporary Value as Material – Lacquer’s Future Connecting Environment and Art
In contemporary times, Kanshitsu is also highly valued as “sustainable craft material.” Lacquer is natural resin collected from lacquer trees, being renewable and biodegradable eco-material.
Hemp cloth likewise is naturally derived fiber, attracting attention for extremely low environmental burden even after disposal. Against this background, Kanshitsu works are increasingly valued as “sustainable art” at domestic and international design exhibitions and art fairs.
Additionally, ease of repair is also one appeal, with chips and cracks easily regenerated by layering lacquer. Ancient materials remaining at the forefront of environmental consciousness today – Kanshitsu is symbolic craft technique connecting past and future.
Kanshitsu Production Process and Craftsmanship
Kanshitsu production involves meticulous processes requiring months from conception to completion. Because three-dimensional forms are built with only lacquer and hemp cloth without relying on wood or metal, advanced judgment reading overall structure and material compatibility is necessary.
Craftspeople first design forms, building foundations by layering hemp cloth on prototypes. Subsequently, repeatedly coating and polishing many times accumulates lacquer layers to enhance strength and smoothness. Finally, applying decoration with gold powder, vermillion lacquer, raden and more, balancing light and texture for completion.
All these processes are performed while assessing lacquer drying conditions and temperature/humidity, with craftspeople’s five senses and experience influencing work finishing. This is truly a precise world of “technique dialoguing with time.”
Prototype Creation and Hemp Cloth Application – First Step of Modeling
Kanshitsu modeling begins first from “prototypes” made with clay or plaster. This is an important process determining work framework, with craftspeople meticulously arranging modeling balance while envisioning completed forms.
Over that, layering hemp cloth many times with nori-urushi (lacquer mixed with rice paste) or mugi-urushi (lacquer mixed with wheat flour) is “hemp cloth application.” Hemp cloth has lightweight yet tough fibers and excellent compatibility with lacquer, forming hard structures after drying.
First several layers determine overall strength, with outer layers requiring careful work to bring out curve beauty and thickness uniformity. Raising form precision at this stage is important, but because datsukanshitsu is hollow structure, it is also technique where distortion easily occurs, requiring careful work.
Kanshitsu is truly art “sculpting by accumulating” lacquer and cloth, with modeling beauty concentrated in this process.
Coating, Polishing, Laminating – Lacquer’s Sturdiness Created by Time
After creating forms through hemp cloth application, work moves to “lamination” processes repeatedly coating lacquer many times. Each layer is naturally dried, surfaces finely polished, then next layers added – by repeating this work dozens of times, surfaces gradually smooth out and acquire deep luster.
Because lacquer is sensitive to temperature and humidity, cracking if drying too fast, leaving stickiness if too slow, craftspeople advance work while reading that day’s weather and season. Polishing uses charcoal powder or wood charcoal, smoothing surfaces in mere micron units, relying on fingertip sensation.
Layers thus accumulated over time and labor create strength and luster not inferior to metal. Kanshitsu’s deep luminosity is truly nurtured by time’s accumulation.
Decoration and Finishing – Beauty Completion Through Gold Powder, Vermillion Lacquer, Raden
Kanshitsu’s final process is “decoration” and “finishing” breathing life into works. On dried lacquer surfaces, techniques are applied including “maki-e” sprinkling gold or silver powder and “raden” affixing thinly shaved shells.
Many designs layer vermillion lacquer many times for depth called “tsuishu” or utilize contrast with black lacquer, greatly influencing work impressions. In “roiro” (polishing) finishes smoothing surfaces by polishing to arrange luster, craftspeople adjust glossiness with fingertips, creating smooth mirror-like texture.
Decoration placement and color balance are based on long experience and aesthetic sense, with no two finishes being identical. Only at the decoration stage do works complete as art, with Kanshitsu’s true value shining luminously.
Cultural Property Restoration and Kanshitsu’s Role
Kanshitsu techniques are indispensable existences not only for sculptural expression as artworks but also for cultural property preservation and restoration. Particularly, many Buddhist statues and decorative items from Nara and Kamakura periods are produced with Kanshitsu, requiring responses using same materials and processes for their restoration.
While lacquer is organic material enduring long aging, its major advantage is enabling repainting and partial repairs. Therefore, at restoration sites, it is valued as “breathing material” irreplaceable by modern chemical resins.
Furthermore, lacquer’s chemical stability and humidity regulation functions are being reconsidered and applied to latest preservation environment research. Kanshitsu continues living today not as mere craft technology but as scientific wisdom supporting cultural inheritance.
Nara Period Hollow Kanshitsu Buddhist Statue Restoration Techniques
Hollow Kanshitsu Buddhist statues produced during the Nara period are known as sculptures with lightweight yet soft expressions. Many are transmitted to Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Toshodaiji Temple and others, with restoration and repair work continuing today.
Lacquer workers engaged in restoration carefully reinforce deteriorated parts using hemp cloth and lacquer same as that era. Reasons why substitution with modern technology is difficult lie in unique elasticity possessed by Kanshitsu’s layer structure. Repairs with synthetic resin overharden or have high shrinkage, risking cracks in pigment layers causing damage. Therefore, lacquer’s elasticity and adhesiveness are optimal.
Additionally, during restoration, subtle adjustments using natural pigments and gold leaf are performed to match lacquer color and luster to surrounding ancient layers. Thus ancient Kanshitsu techniques have been protected for over a millennium, transmitting Buddhist statues’ “life” to today.
Lacquer’s Scientific Properties and Preservation Environment Research
That Kanshitsu doesn’t collapse even through long years lies in lacquer’s chemical stability. Lacquer creates strong films through oxidative polymerization of main component urushiol, demonstrating high durability against ultraviolet rays and humidity changes.
Furthermore, because lacquer layers contain minute air layers internally, they easily absorb thermal expansion and contraction, possessing flexibility following wood and cloth movements. At cultural property preservation sites, research analyzing lacquer’s aging using electron microscopes and infrared spectroscopy progresses.
Additionally, in museums and temples, environments of humidity 50-60% and temperature around 20°C are considered optimal, with increasing examples establishing dedicated exhibition rooms for Kanshitsu Buddhist statues. As scientific understanding of lacquer progresses, restoration technology develops into more precise and sustainable forms.
Successor Training and Technical Inheritance for Leaving to the Future
Lacquer art restoration including Kanshitsu requires long experience and deep material understanding. Therefore, successor training is one of the highest priority issues in cultural property preservation.
Recently, the Agency for Cultural Affairs and university institutions have established programs for systematically learning traditional techniques, with young restorers practically acquiring lacquer handling and Kanshitsu structure reproduction methods. Additionally, in Nara and Kyoto, veteran craftspeople take apprentices, conducting activities transmitting everything from lacquer refining to bonding and decoration.
Such efforts lead not only to technical inheritance but also regional culture regeneration. Kanshitsu is not mere ancient technique but “living wisdom inherited by next generations.” That its techniques continue being used at future restoration sites represents true Japanese cultural inheritance.
Kanshitsu Possibilities Living in Contemporary Times
While Kanshitsu is traditional technique transmitted from ancient times, it creates new value in contemporary art, design, and architectural fields. Its modeling freedom, lightness, and environmentally friendly material characteristics deeply resonate with philosophies demanded by sustainable society.
Recently, while techniques of masters including human national treasures are inherited by young artists, they also attract attention at domestic and international art fairs and exhibitions. As craft and contemporary art, tradition and technology intersect, Kanshitsu is opening new horizons as “lacquer art evolving toward the future.”
Human National Treasures and Masters – Artist Lineages Inheriting Techniques
As representative existence transmitting Kanshitsu techniques to contemporary times, human national treasure Otomaru Kodo’s name is mentioned. Otomaru innovated sculptural lacquer modeling and colored lacquer expression during the Showa period, elevating lacquer art to artistic realms.
Contemporary to him, maki-e human national treasure Matsuda Gonroku also flourished, nurturing disciple Shiota Keishiro who excelled in Kanshitsu techniques. Additionally, Onishi Isao excelling in curved modeling studied under Akaji Yusai, being recognized as lacquer coating human national treasure. Furthermore in contemporary times, new attempts by female artists and young lacquer artists progress, with modern sculptures and abstract works using Kanshitsu being highly valued domestically and internationally.
While preserving traditional processes of “hemp cloth application,” “lamination,” and “polishing,” they weave in contemporary themes of light, shadow, and material texture, redefining Kanshitsu not as mere technique but as “expression breathing with the times.”
Transcending Craft and Art Boundaries – Evolution as Sculptural Art
Kanshitsu’s greatest appeal lies in its modeling freedom. Characteristics enabling flexible form changes without wood or metal constraints have high affinity with contemporary art and sculpture domains.
For example, attempts transcending traditional “craft” frameworks continue, including lacquer three-dimensional works seeming to float in space and installation works utilizing light reflection. Recently, hybrid works combining lacquer with resin and glass fiber, enhancing durability and transparency, have also emerged.
This expands Kanshitsu’s expression domains from gallery exhibitions to public art and architectural decoration. Kanshitsu, combining craft precision with contemporary art scale, truly represents symbolic technique where Japanese tradition regenerates in contemporary times.
Application Development in Environmental, Architectural, Design Fields
Kanshitsu’s material characteristics present new possibilities in contemporary design and architectural fields. Because lacquer is natural resin excelling in waterproofness, preservation, and antibacterial properties, it attracts attention as interior materials and furniture finishes.
Particularly, Kanshitsu’s lightweight yet sturdy structure sees increasing adoption cases as lighting fixtures, wall art, and hotel/commercial facility decorative materials. Additionally, movements incorporating computer modeling into prototype production applying 3D modeling and digital cutting technology have begun.
This fuses traditional handwork with cutting-edge technology, creating new “Kanshitsu design” trends. Harmony of natural material warmth with futuristic design – that is Kanshitsu’s new role in contemporary times.
Conclusion
Kanshitsu, while being ancient technique born during the Nara period, is “living craft” not losing value in contemporary times. Lightweight modeling born by layering lacquer and hemp cloth has been used for Buddhist statues and vessels for over a millennium, currently being applied across multiple fields including art, architecture, and design.
Kanshitsu combining strength, flexibility, and repairability truly represents fusion of nature and human wisdom. Through craftsmen’s techniques supporting tradition and efforts in scientific research and successor training, Kanshitsu will continue protecting Japanese cultural heritage and evolving onto new creative stages.
