{"product_id":"vintage-goldleaf-lacquerware-nicknack-tray","title":"vintage goldleaf lacquerware (nicknack) tray","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ethis tray is in new condition, in the original wooden box. the bottom has a cloth that is used to hold the tray while in storage. i believe this to be real lacquerware, and a wooden interior. it would have sold for around ¥15000 ~ ¥40000 ($150 - $400CAD) when it was purchased new.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethis japanese lacquerware tray was likely made between the 1970's and 2000's. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebased on the informational card inside, i believe it was made in kanazawa, ishikawa prefecture which has a 400 year history of gold leaf. it has real gold leaf decorations with reflecting elements within the gold. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003enote: \u003c\/strong\u003ethere is only one tray available, so if you see one of the sliding scale options is sold out, that means the tray is already sold!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ewhat is japanese lacquerware \/ urushi?\u003c\/strong\u003e lacquerware is a type of coating that is made out of tree sap called urushi, and typically applied to a wooden base object. urushi can be applied as a protective coating, the japanese emperor's would have lived in a home completely coated with urushi. common folk often would have used bowls, plates, trays, boxes, etc coated with urushi in their day to day life. prior to urushi becoming commonplace, people would eat out of wooden dishes with no coating, but they were prone to breakage. once the wooden dishes were coated in urushi, they became significantly stronger and heat resistant. there is archeological evidence of urushi being used for the last 10,000 years, back to the jomon period. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe urushi trees take over 20 years to reach maturity, then can be harvested but a few times to collect a small amount of urushi liquid before the tree dies. the urushi sap itself is quite delicate, as the qualities can change depending on the time of day and time of year that the sap is harvested. one urushi coating a week to dry in optimal conditions through a process of oxidization, and one item can have many layers. it can take up to 3 months just to apply the urushi lacquer to one item, but the colour of the item doesn't fully settle for about three years. this means that when the item is first 'finished' it might appear bright red, but in three years it will turn a deep red \/ black. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eurushi lacquerware used to be the gold standard in japan and was highly prized, but since modern dishes and pottery have become popular people have slowly started to see lacquerware items as 'too much work' to care for. thus, these items that would have been bought for a lot of money are now sold for little, or thrown away for lack of value and interest. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"naoshiimasu","offers":[{"title":"+1","offer_id":51039140020471,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"0","offer_id":51039140053239,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"-1","offer_id":51039140086007,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0902\/7472\/6135\/files\/2_48d43190-236d-42c7-83d4-63ffc4f83032.png?v=1787035641","url":"https:\/\/naoshiimasu.ca\/products\/vintage-goldleaf-lacquerware-nicknack-tray","provider":"naoshiimasu","version":"1.0","type":"link"}