Mother of pearl

Japanese: 螺鈿 - らでん

A decorative technique for lacquer crafts. Shells are rubbed into various thicknesses with a rough whetstone or grinder, then cut into patterns and pasted or inlaid onto the surface of wood or lacquer to create decoration.

The oldest known name for mother-of-pearl is found in the Todaiji Temple Donations Book from 756. Although it does not yet appear in literature, it is thought to be a term from the Tang Dynasty, and the character for denra appears in the later Song Dynasty's Jigyo Wing. Other literature uses the terms kanra, senden, denkan, denra, and kanho as synonyms, with the characters den, den, and den being used for inlay. In Japan, from the Heian period onwards, examples of the use of kaisuri, aokai, and aogai can be seen, and the words raden, denra, rafill, and denkan are written as aokahi. Naru originally referred to a spiral-shaped shell like the turban snail, but abalone, turban shell, butterfly shell, parrot shell, clam shell, Mexican shell, etc. are also used. The thickness of the polished shell board is measured in units of 100 layers, with those that are 2 bu 5 rin (8.25 mm) called thin shell and those thinner than that called silk polish. Thick shell is 4 sun (132 mm), and when thicker is required, round shells are sometimes used. The original meaning of den was gold flower, and it referred to golden hair ornaments, and came to refer to decorations made with jewels and shells.

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technique

First, there are three main methods for making patterns from shell panels. (1) Cutting method: Suitable for thick shells, the shell is cut with a jigsaw and then finished with a file and whetstone. (2) Punching method: A method in which a thin shell panel is punched out with a mold using a chisel. (3) Etching method: This method uses a chemical (hydrochloric acid). After attaching a thin shell panel, a pattern is drawn on the surface with lacquer, and then the surface is rubbed with a brush soaked in hydrochloric acid, causing the parts without lacquer to corrode and disappear. The lacquer is then immediately washed with water and peeled off.

Next, there are several methods for attaching the shell board to the wood base: (1) the inlay method, in which the wood base is carved and the shell board is fitted into it; (2) the adhesion method, in which the shell board is attached to the wood base, the periphery is filled with lacquer and then polished; and (3) the push-in method, in which the shell board is pressed into a base that has been thickly lacquered.

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history

The origins of mother-of-pearl are unclear, but since examples of shell decoration can be found on accessories and utensils from the Hadak culture period of ancient Egypt (around 3500 BC), it is believed to have spread to countries along the Mediterranean coast and gradually developed into a decorative technique.

There are two theories about mother-of-pearl in the Orient: one is that it was already in China during the Yin dynasty, and the other that it was introduced to the Tang dynasty from Western countries such as Sassanid Persia via the Silk Road, with the latter being the more likely. This is inferred from Western-style musical instruments preserved in the Shosoin Repository, such as the mother-of-pearl rosewood biwa, the mother-of-pearl rosewood five-stringed biwa, and the taimai mother-of-pearl koto. Also, as can be seen in the agarwood painting box in the Shosoin Repository, amber, tortoiseshell, crystal, coral, ivory, and jade are used in combination with rosewood and other wood bases. As only two items with lacquered mother-of-pearl inlay have been found among the Shosoin treasures - a mother-of-pearl box and a koto - some say that mother-of-pearl was originally a woodworking technique rather than a lacquerware technique. Mother-of-pearl was also applied to metalwork. In Japan, eight examples remain, including the flat mother-of-pearl back round mirror from the Shosoin Repository, and in China there is a flat mother-of-pearl back mirror with a design of flowers, birds and figures that was discovered in 1962 in the Tang Dynasty tomb no. 76 in Section 16 of Luoyang, Henan Province, and a similar mirror has also been excavated in Korea, proving the country's internationalization.

During the Heian period, the mainstream shifted from Chinese-style wood-based mother-of-pearl to lacquer-based mother-of-pearl, but it was around the beginning of the 11th century, when Fujiwara no Michinaga took political control, that the Japanese style was achieved, especially in terms of expression and technique, and the combined use of maki-e and mother-of-pearl techniques began to be seen in the interior furnishings of aristocrats. Representative examples of black lacquer-based mother-of-pearl include the Suhama-Urushi ... The designs, based on Japan's scenic beauty and scenery, are expressed with a delicate and elegant sensibility, and were already highly praised in China and Korea by the end of the 10th century. In 988 (Eien 2), Chosen sent mother-of-pearl items as gifts to the Song royal family, entrusting them to his disciple Kain, and in 1015 (Chowa 4), Fujiwara no Michinaga donated a mother-of-pearl lacquerware cabinet to the Tiantaisan Daiji Temple in Song. In 1073 (Enkyu 5), Wang Nose-tei and others presented saddles, mirror cases, inkstone cases, and other items to the Goryeo royal family. Of particular note is the passage in the "Bozakakuhen" written by Fang Sha of the Northern Song dynasty, "Mother-of-pearl ware originally appeared in Wa. It is of extremely high quality, with many different forms and objects." This indicates that mother-of-pearl technology originated in Japan, and that it is highly regarded for its diverse designs and exquisite craftsmanship. This also indicates the decline of mother-of-pearl in China.

During the Kamakura period, mother-of-pearl techniques continued to advance, and the Shigure Mother-of-pearl Saddle (National Treasure, Eisei Bunko, Tokyo) reached the level of intricate technique, with pictorial patterns and letters created using mother-of-pearl alone on irregular curved surfaces. Korean mother-of-pearl also saw remarkable development from the Goryeo period (918-1392) onwards, and documents show that mother-of-pearl was produced by mother-of-pearl masters at the government-run "Jungsangseo" and was highly respected in the Song dynasty of China. In 1272, the "Inlay Box Construction Office" was established, and a large number of boxes to hold the "Tripitaka" were produced. Gorai mother-of-pearl ware consists of designs of standing chrysanthemums and chrysanthemum arabesques, with beads and star patterns around the edges, and twisted silver, tin or brass wire used for the borders and stems. Techniques such as painting the underside of the shell and applying tortoiseshell are also seen. Examples of this ware in Japan include a mother-of-pearl sutra box with chrysanthemum design (Tokyo National Museum) and a tortoiseshell box with floral design (Taima-ji Temple Okuin, Nara).

During the Muromachi period, Japanese mother-of-pearl inlay went into decline, but a new technique using thin shells from the Ming Dynasty in China was introduced. Furthermore, during the Momoyama period, the split shell and blue shell methods were introduced from Korea during the Yi Dynasty, and were applied to the Meigetsu-wan bowl, said to have been invented by Oda Urakusai, and to vessels with Nanban designs. During the Edo period, the world saw the emergence of intricate and magnificent works by Ogata Korin, who attempted unique expressions using thick abalone shells, Somada Mitsumasa, who created mosaic patterns using thin shells, and Shibayama Senzo, who inlaid carved shells. The blue shell method also spread to Okinawa, and the intricate Somada work was used in Ryukyu lacquerware.

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"Raden" by Hirokazu Arakawa (1985, Dohosha Publishing) " ▽ "Japanese Art 211: Raden" edited by Sadao Kawada (1983, Shibundo)

[Reference] | Lacquerware | Shosoin

Techniques of mother-of-pearl
(1) Cut out the pattern from pieces of shell and insert it into the wood from the lacquer base. (2) Cover it with lacquer. (3) Remove the lacquer film of the pattern with a knife or grind it down with charcoal . ©Shogakukan

Techniques of mother-of-pearl

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

漆工芸の加飾技法の一種。貝殻を荒砥(あらと)やグラインダーなどで各種の厚さに摺(す)ったものを文様に切り、木地(きじ)や漆地(うるしじ)の面に貼(は)り付けたり、はめ込んで装飾する技法。

　螺鈿の名称は、天平勝宝(てんぴょうしょうほう)8年（756）の『東大寺献物(けんもつ)帳』に記載のものがもっとも古い。まだ文献にはみえないが、中国・唐の用語と思われ、後世宋(そう)代の『爾雅翼(じがよく)』に鈿螺の文字がある。類語として他の文献では坎螺(かんら)、(せんでん)、嵌(でんかん)、鈿螺(でんら)、陥蚌(かんほう)と異称し、蜔(でん)、甸(でん)、填(でん)の文字を鈿にあてている。日本では、平安時代以降に、貝摺(かいすり)、青螺(あおかい)、青貝という用例がみられ、また螺鈿、鈿螺、螺填、蜔嵌(でんかん)と書いて「アヲカヒ」と呼称している。螺はもともと栄螺(さざえ)のような渦巻形の貝殻をさしたが、鮑(あわび)貝、夜光貝、蝶(ちょう)貝、鸚鵡(おうむ)貝、蜆(しじみ)貝、メキシコ貝なども用いる。摺った貝板の厚さは100枚重ねを単位とし、2分5厘（8.25ミリメートル）のものは薄貝、これより薄いものを絹磨(ず)りという。厚貝は4寸（132ミリメートル）のもので、より厚さを要するときは丸貝を用いることもある。鈿の原意は金華(かねかざり)で、黄金の髪飾りをさし、玉(ぎょく)や貝で飾ることをも称するようになった。

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技法

まず貝板から文様をつくる方法は、大別して次の3種に分けられる。(1)切り抜き法　厚貝に適し、糸鋸(いとのこ)で挽(ひ)いたのち鑢(やすり)や砥石(といし)で仕上げる。(2)打ち抜き法　薄い貝板を型で打ち抜く方法で、鏨(たがね)を用いる。(3)腐食法　薬品（塩酸）を用いるもので、薄貝を貼ってから表面に文様を漆で描き、その上を塩酸のついた刷毛(はけ)でなでると、漆のない部分は腐食して消滅する。それをすぐ水洗いして漆を剥(は)ぐ方法。

　次に貝板を木地に接着する方法としては、(1)木地を彫り込み、そこへ貝板をはめる嵌入(かんにゅう)法。(2)木地に貝板を貼り、周りを漆で塗り埋めたのちに研ぎ出す付着法。(3)厚く漆を塗った地に貝板を押し込む押し込み法などがある。

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歴史

螺鈿の起源は明らかではないが、古代エジプトのハダク文化期（前3500ころ）の装身具や器物に、貝殻を細工した装飾例がみられるところから、地中海沿岸の諸国に伝わり、しだいに加飾法として進展したものと思われる。

　東洋における螺鈿は、中国の殷(いん)代にすでにあったとする説と、ササン朝ペルシアをはじめとする西方の国々からシルク・ロードを経て唐に流入したとする説があり、後者が有力である。このことは、正倉院に伝わる西方系の楽器である螺鈿紫檀琵琶(したんびわ)や、螺鈿紫檀五絃(ごげん)琵琶、玳瑁(たいまい)螺鈿箜篌(くご)などから推測される。また正倉院の沈香木画箱にみられるように、紫檀材などの木地に琥珀(こはく)、玳瑁（べっこう）、水晶、珊瑚(さんご)、象牙(ぞうげ)、玉(ぎょく)などを併用している。正倉院宝物の漆地の螺鈿品は、螺鈿箱、箜篌の2点しかみられないので、螺鈿は本来、漆工よりもむしろ木工技術のもとにあったとする説もある。螺鈿はまた金工品にも施された。わが国では正倉院の平螺鈿背(へいらでんはい)円鏡をはじめ8面の遺例があり、中国には1962年に河南省洛陽(らくよう)の16工区76号唐墓から発見の花鳥人物文平螺鈿背鏡、韓国にも同種の鏡が出土するなど、国際化を証する好例である。

　平安時代には、唐風の木地螺鈿から漆地螺鈿へと主流が移ってゆくが、とくに表現・技法の面で和様化を遂げるのは、藤原道長が政治を支配した11世紀初めごろで、貴族の室内調度に蒔絵(まきえ)と螺鈿の技術の併用もみられるようになる。黒漆地螺鈿の代表的遺例に洲浜鵜(すはまう)螺鈿硯箱(すずりばこ)や鳳凰(ほうおう)円文螺鈿唐櫃(からびつ)、萩(はぎ)螺鈿鞍(くら)（ともに東京国立博物館）があげられ、蒔絵との併用では片輪車(かたわぐるま)螺鈿蒔絵手箱（国宝、東京国立博物館）、沢千鳥(さわちどり)螺鈿蒔絵小唐櫃（国宝、和歌山・金剛峯寺(こんごうぶじ)）がある。日本の景勝、風物に基づく意匠が繊細優美な感覚によって表されており、10世紀末ごろにはすでに中国、朝鮮でも高く評価された。988年（永延2）に奝然(ちょうねん)が弟子嘉因(かいん)に託して宋の王室への進物品に螺鈿の品々を贈ったり、1015年（長和4）に藤原道長が宋の天台山大慈寺に螺鈿蒔絵厨子(ずし)などを寄進している。また1073年（延久5）、高麗(こうらい)の王室へ鞍、鏡箱、硯箱などを王則貞らが贈っている。とくに注目すべきは、北宋の方勺(ほうしゃく)が著した『泊宅編』に「螺鈿器はもと倭(わ)国に出(い)ずる。物象百態、頗(すこぶ)る工巧を極む」とあって、螺鈿技術のおこりが日本であり、多様な意匠が精巧を極めていると評価していることである。このことは螺鈿の中国での衰微をも示している。

　鎌倉時代にはますます螺鈿の技術は進み、時雨(しぐれ)螺鈿鞍（国宝、東京・永青文庫）では不整形の曲面に螺鈿だけで絵画的な文様と文字を表した巧緻(こうち)な技にまで達している。朝鮮の螺鈿が著しく発達したのも高麗時代（918～1392）以降で、官営の「中尚署」で螺鈿匠によって制作され、中国宋朝で非常に尊重されたことが文献によって知られる。1272年には「鈿函造成都監」を設け、『大蔵経』を納める箱を大量に制作した。高麗(こうらい)螺鈿は、立菊や菊唐草の文様からなり、縁には連珠文や星形などを巡らし、境界線や茎などに銀、錫(すず)、真鍮(しんちゅう)の縒(より)線を用い、貝裏に彩色したり、玳瑁を貼るなどの技法もみられ、わが国にも菊花文螺鈿経箱（東京国立博物館）や花文螺鈿玳瑁合子（奈良・當麻(たいま)寺奥院）の遺例がある。

　室町時代には日本の螺鈿は低迷したが、中国明(みん)代の薄貝を用いる技術が新たに伝わる。さらに桃山時代には、李朝(りちょう)期の朝鮮から割貝法や青貝法が伝わって、織田有楽斎(おだうらくさい)の考案という明月椀(めいげつわん)や、南蛮意匠の器物に応用されている。江戸時代には鮑の厚貝を使い独得な表現を試みた尾形光琳(こうりん)や、薄貝でモザイク文様を表した杣田光正(そまだみつまさ)、彫刻した貝を嵌入する芝山仙蔵などの精巧ではでな作品が世に出た。なお沖縄にも青貝法が伝わり、精緻な杣田細工が琉球(りゅうきゅう)漆器に活用された。

［郷家忠臣］

『荒川浩和著『螺鈿』（1985・同朋舎出版）』▽『河田貞編『日本の美術211　螺鈿』（1983・至文堂）』

[参照項目] | 漆器 | 正倉院

螺鈿の技法

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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