Soyo and Shodo Yamagishi Japanese

These two brothers Soyo and Shodo Yamagishi (b. 1961 & 1963) are unusual in that they specialize in creating ‘core lacquer’ objects, made entirely out of natural lacquer without the usual wooden core, that involve an unbelievably long and complicated process. They are continually studying to improve their technique and create an everlasting beauty that will never dull. The masterful technique of these brothers takes many years on end—up to twenty years for a single piece. The shinshitsu method means there is no wood interior; the core of the piece is made from lacquer itself and decorated by hand with eggshells, gold, silver, mother-of-pearl, and other sorts of precious mediums. 

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