Abstract
Abstract The invention of lacquer technology is significant in history as the first evidence of the use of an organic substance in creating durable coloured objects. By focusing on the evidence from the Jomon Period, Japan, this article clarifies the nature of complex technology and knowledge required for lacquer production, presents how lacquer technology enhanced our creative ability, and discusses its significance in human history. Lacquer technology was invented in the course of increasing human-plant interaction in the warming climate of the early Holocene. Personal ornaments coated with red lacquer are the most conspicuous throughout the Jomon Period from the beginning of lacquer technology. Strong attention to colour and intensive application on personal ornaments indicate that the creation of symbolic artefacts in social context was at the core of Jomon lacquer technology.
Highlights
The invention of lacquer technology is significant in human history as an early example of the use of an organic substance in creating durable coloured objects
By applying lacquer on the surface of bark, large, water-proof, and very light containers can be created. While both aesthetic and utilitarian aspects of lacquer were fully recognized and exploited in the Jomon Period, it should be noted that personal ornaments such as strings, combs and bracelets appeared from the early stage of lacquer production
The invention of lacquer technology was a significant step in human history as the first method to create durable coloured artefacts
Summary
The invention of lacquer technology is significant in human history as an early example of the use of an organic substance in creating durable coloured objects. While the term lacquer is used for many kinds of hard and potentially shiny finishes applied to materials including recent industrial products with artificial resin, the word refers to the treated and dried sap of Japanese Sumac, or urushi tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) in this article. A third unique feature is that lacquer can be used as a binder to make paint, and as a glue, filling or forming material This feature made it possible to create new kinds of objects that humans had never obtained before. As lacquer can be applied to many kinds of material including wood, fiber and pottery, it can transform both organic and inorganic materials with dull colour and porous surfaces into bright red, shiny objects
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