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Interview: Yamada Heiando CHOPARD LUC XP Urushi Japanese Lacquer Technique
In 2009, Chopard announced the LUC XP Urushi Dial watches combining the exquisite Japanese lacquer work of Minori KOIZUMI under the auspices of 'National Living Treasure' - Master Kiichiro MASUMURA - at the Yamada Heiando Studio with the superlative watchmaking craft of Chopard Manufacture.
Having lived in Japan, we (then current Mrs MTF and I) were enthralled and just had to choose a piece for our collection.
We could not decide between the 'Phoenix Day & Night' and the 'Ultimate Universe'.
This report may help you decide about Japanese lacquer urushi maki-e dials too.
Phoenix Day & Night
Ultimate Universe
PREVIOUS POSTINGS (CLICK the following URL links to read)
CHOPARD announce LUC XP Watch - Urushi Art pieces
chopard.watchprosite.com
CHOPARD LUC XP Watch - Urushi Art real photographs
chopard.watchprosite.com
Choosing the watch
To help us decide on which LUC XP Urushi Lacquer watch to get, we asked the President of Yamada Heiando Studio, Mr Kenta YAMADA, to enlighten us about the (urushi) lacquer techniques. The artwork using lacquer technique is called 'maki-e'.
Here follows our short discussion:
MTF: What are the maki-e techniques used for the two dials: Day-Night Phoenix and Ultimate Universe? Phoenix appears to be combination of takamaki-e and togidashi. Is this shishiai-togidashimaki-e?
KY: Phoenix and Ultimate Universe are both called "takamaki-e." "Shisiai-maki-e" technique is used only in special cases because the technique does not just express three-dimensional design like "takamaki-e"; but it bevels and puts edges on the takamaki-e surface.
MTF: Ultimate Universe seems to be the only urushi technique without inclusion of gold, raden or anything. Is this correct?
If there is more complexity to the technique, please forgive my error. There are many layers of urushi in the Ultimate Universe but I need to learn if this is a master technique compared with the more colourful dials in the Chopard collection?
KY: Regarding Phoenix, there is a golden phoenix and black one expressing light and shadow or two-faces. In the background of the Phoenix dial, a flower called "hou-souge" is depicted. This flower does not bloom in the real world, but in heaven. Thus, this dial depicts phoenix and hou-souge: non-existence creatures and flowers. Generally, takamaki-e technique is spreading of gold powder on top of a raised lacquer surface.
For Ultimate Universe and Phoenix dials, "ash powder" is spread on the raised lacquer surface. I can say this is a pretty special technique because the usual substance is gold powder. The reason for choosing the ash powder is to express Eastern beauty besides the gorgeous beauty of gold.
In Ultimate Universe's dial there are tiny insects like locust and lady bug. Please take a look at those insects with a magnifying glass and you would find very exquisitely depicted insects that can hardly be expected to be hand-painted.
It is not that those two dials are more special among the others in our collection. The best technique of the best craftsman in today's craft-work is applied for all 9 dials. However, those two have an aspect of Eastern and Japanese beauty, besides the straightforward beauty of gold. It is not just about technique, but also the unique expression in those two dials.
MTF: Is the ash powder made from the same burnt charcoal that is used to polish each layer of urushi?
KY: Yes, as you noticed, it is the same charcoal.
MTF: Is there any significance or meaning for the 5 insects that appear?
KY: There is no specific significance for the insects. However, the theme of the dial is 'ultimate universe'.
It is about the power of nature; Nature governs Everything.
Usually, Japanese art depicts spring flowers with spring insects, and autumn flowers with autumn insects.
Therefore, it might be special in point that the dial has four-season insects and flowers.
MTF: Is that a bee ( ?) or wasp (?????) ?
KY: It is not a specific kind of bee, but a deformed image of a bee.
[Editor's Note: The translation seems to be 'composite image of a bee')
MTF: Usually the artist's brush is made from hair of rat tail. For the tiny insect painting, is the brush hair different or even finer?
KY: The top quality brush for maki-e can be obtained from only a few hairs on each tail of the black rat. This work was painted with a brush of black rat tail hairs.
MTF: In traditional urushi, we know that black and red colours are usual. Are the extra colours (green, yellow, orange) for the Ultimate Universe from using non-traditional paint or lacquer? What material are these new colours?
Black and red are popular colours, but by adding pigment into sap of Urushi tree, some colour variation can be made.
These colours are called 'coloured urushi' and have been used for traditional works too.
MTF: Is there any more background story about the Ultimate Universe dial that may not be in the Chopard press release?
KY: From the outset, when we received the green light from Chopard, the dial did not have the bee. It is pretty rare to paint a bee in Japanese traditional design, and none of our products have a bee motif. As it is an icon of Chopard, a bee motif was chosen to appeared on the dial as a symbol of Chopard and Heiando collaboration.
The Ultimate Universe is the only dial having a bee.
MTF: Yamada-san, domo arigatou gozaimasu; shitsurei shimasu.
KY: You are welcomed; enjoy your Ultimate Universe.
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Thus, it came to past that our choice was ultimately........... the LUC XP Urushi - Ultimate Universe.
The colours change with the angle of ambient light on the dial.
What do you think of the explanations given by Mr Yamada? Useful?
TERMINOLOGY
Maki-e: "Sprinkled picture" artwork that is painted lacquer sprinkled with other substances like gold or silver or charcoal ash powder.
Raden: mother-of-pearl chips or powder that is inlaid on the wet lacquer.
The three main types of maki-e technique are:
1) Hira maki-e: Low lacquer work where the layers of lacquer and sprinkled substances are polished and burnished between layers.
2) Taka maki-e: Raised lacquer work with patterns built up with mixture of metal powder, lacquer, charcoal or clay dust etc to make it more dimensional.
3) Togidashi maki-e: Flat lacquer work can only be done on a perfectly clean and smooth surface. The surface has to be rubbed with urushi leaving no pores before togidashi maki-e can be started. Black lacquer without oil is painted over the metal powder decoration as an additional coat.
Shishiai togidashi maki-e
Hira maki-e is easier and simpler but somewhat monotonous.
Togidashi maki-e is colourful but flat.
Taka Maki-e has raised designs and is colourful but is still not the most complex.
Top artists can combine different methods into a art piece. For example, mountains in the distance need taka maki-e, while the sky needs togidashi maki-e. Trees in the foreground may be represented by taka maki-e and the sea or river may need togidashi maki-e. The difficulty here lies in burnishing flat and raised parts of the designs at the same time. This is where an artist show his/her mastery using the combination technique - shishiai togidashi maki-e.
Regards,
MTF
Interview: Yamada Heiando CHOPARD LUC XP Urushi Japanese Lacquer Technique
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