Satiny Urushi | Bordeaux Red Bangle
2 to 3 days
2 to 7 days
Urushi Design in Bordeaux-Red
Designer Rie Sakamoto (pictured here) presents the Japanese Urushi Lacquer, Bordeaux-Red Bangle. As one of Japan's oldest (7000 years) traditional crafts Urushi's (Japanese Lacquer) silky, soft glow and smooth, high-luster quaity may invoke romantic images Japan's past. Yet, even today the versatile, and natural sap from the Urushi tree inspires contemporary craft artists.
The Urushi Sakamoto Studio, and generations of skilled craft artisans, continue to pay homage to those hard-earned traditions. And at the same time, infuse those traditions with new, bright contemporary colors, modern materials and original designs to create unique jewelry for today's lifestyles.
What is Urushi? Why is it Special?
Urushi (a Japanese word) is usually translated as lacquer. But this meaning is somewhat lost in translation! Urushi is not a chemical lacquer, but the natural sap (urushiol) that comes from the tree of the same name - a tree native to Asia. Urushi, once properly dried, is incredibly hard, durable and will gift a surface that is amazingly lustrous, pearly and satiny with a soft, dreamy, high-gloss glow. This luster is so enduring, objects excavated from Japan's prehistoric past still retain it! (1) It is this signature, appealing quality that puts Urushi in an aesthetic category of it own apart from precious metals or gem stones. You can read more about this amazing, natural Urushi sap HERE.
Creating A Bordeaux-Red Bangle
Carved out of a single block of Parkwood, this Bordeaux-red Bangle is lightweight and slim. To achieve Urushi's signature satiny glow, skilled craft artists at Urushi Sakamoto Studio, meticulously apply, and thoroughly dry, fifteen layers of refined sap. It starts with layers of jet-black sap followed by layers of clear sap that has added bordeaux-red pigment. Part of the shine of this bangle, and what also helps to deepen the red color, is the addition of silver-foil overlay on the bangle surface. Craft artists adhere this foil by hand and specialized tools following the handed-down techniques of the traditional craft art. The inside of the bangle boasts similar careful workmanship with a beautiful, silvery platinum foil that gracefully embraces its curves. For the finish, the bangle is is further preserved and sealed, twice, with urethane resin. Each bangle has Rie, the designer's signature, and makes for an amazing quality gift or souvenir from Japan. This bangle makes a wonderful jewelry set by matching it with Bordeaux-red Urushi Earrings.
Product Details | Care
- Important Note: Inner circumference runs about 21cm. Please measure your wrist to determine if this size is appropriate for you.
- Designer Signature: Signed Rie
- Material: Carved from a single block of Parkwood
- Surface: Authentic, Natural, Urushi Lacquer | Sealed with Urethane Resin
- Width: approximately 2.8cm
- Weight: 23g
- Inside Surface: Platinum foil
- Color: Bordeaux-red
- Care: Clean and buff with a soft cloth. Do not store in direct sunlight.
- Gift Box and Jewelry Case: Includes a gray, velvet-type jewelry case in a white gift box (as seen in photos).
* Due to the nature of the high-end craft-making processes, individual bangles may vary slightly in color (from our website photos) and other product qualities.
(1) Gonroku Matsuda, The Book of Urushi - Japanese Lacquerware from a Master . Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (2019)
