Lacquerware, produced by applying sap from the urushinoki, or Japanese lacquer tree, to vessels in order to decorate as well as protect them, has long been an important component throughout ...

Only under those conditions is urushiol, a lipid that makes up a large portion of Japanese lacquer, oxidatively polymerized by laccase. This is followed by an auto-oxidation reaction that slowly ...

A rare opportunity to try an ancient Japanese craft ... He explains that urushi lacquer — a varnish produced by the sap of the urushi tree — is resistant to water, acid and bacteria, making ...