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Craft · No. 101

Kiso Lacquerware

No. 101漆器

Kiso Lacquerware

木曽漆器

kiso lacquerware · 長野県

Kiso Lacquerware is a traditional lacquerware craft produced in the Kiso region of Nagano Prefecture. Renowned for its durability and practical elegance, it developed alongside the region's rich forestry culture and historic post-road heritage.

Origin
長野県
Category
漆器
Materials
Wood · Lacquer
Designation
Nat'l Traditional Craft

No. IHistory

Kiso Lacquerware originates from the mountain communities of the Kiso Valley in Nagano Prefecture, where abundant forests of hinoki cypress and sawara…

No. IIMaterials

The base materials for Kiso Lacquerware are primarily local conifers — hinoki cypress, sawara cypress, and asunaro — harvested from the forests of the…

No. IIITechniques

The production of Kiso Lacquerware begins with woodworking: craftspeople use a lathe to turn and shape wooden blanks (a process called kiji-biki), or…

No. IVClimate

The Kiso Valley sits at high elevation amid the Central Alps and Mount Ontake, giving it cold winters, significant snowfall, and stable humidity level…