Wakasa-nuri
LacquerwareHokuriku
National Traditional Craft
Price range
¥1,000 ~ ¥10,000
Decorative lacquer chopsticks from Fukui with embedded eggshell and shell patterns.
Wakasa-nuri is a lacquerware tradition from Obama, Fukui Prefecture, best known for its stunning lacquered chopsticks, which account for approximately 80% of all lacquered chopsticks produced in Japan. Developed in the early Edo period, the technique involves embedding eggshell, seashell, pine needles, and other materials between layers of colored lacquer, then polishing to reveal luminous patterns inspired by the sea floor of Wakasa Bay. The multi-layered process can require up to 50 coats of lacquer.
Materials
Japanese lacquer, eggshell, seashell
Techniques
Inlay, polishing, multi-layer lacquering