漆工
by Wada Sanzo
Depicting a lacquer worker (nurimono-shi), this print documents one of Japan's most highly refined traditional crafts. The irony of a woodblock print portraying a lacquer artisan highlights the interconnectedness of Japanese craft traditions. Lifetime Watanabe editions are priced at $500-$1,000; posthumous are $200-$500.
"Lacquer Worker" (Shikko) is a color woodblock print from around 1940 by Wada Sanzo portraying an artisan who applies and polishes urushi lacquer. Lacquerwork is one of Japan's most ancient and technically demanding crafts, requiring years of apprenticeship to master the handling of raw lacquer sap, which causes severe skin reactions in the uninitiated. The shikko builds up dozens of thin coats on a wooden or fabric base, polishing each layer to a mirror finish before applying the next. Wada depicts the worker in the controlled, dust-free environment required for lacquer application, where even a single particle settling on a wet surface ruins hours of labor. The figure's focused posture reflects the extreme patience the craft demands. As a color woodblock print, this work shares materials with its subject, both rely on refined natural substances processed through painstaking handwork into objects of lasting beauty.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Lacquer Worker (漆工) was created by Wada Sanzo (和田三造) in c. 1940.
Lacquer Worker depicts figures and craftspeople.
