“Raden Glass,” crafted using lacquer and incorporating the raden (abalone shell) technique—one of the defining features of Takaoka lacquerware
What is Raden...
It is one of the outstanding traditional craft techniques dating back to the Tenpyō era, as evidenced by artifacts preserved in the Shōsō-in Repository.
This technique involves slicing shells such as abalone—which possess a rainbow-like luster—into sheets approximately 0.1 mm thick, then using knives and needles to create fine fragments.
These fragments are then assembled to depict landscapes, flowers, and birds. As one of Takaoka’s representative techniques, this method produces lacquerware of exquisite beauty and elegance,
and was designated as a National “Traditional Craft” in 1975 (Showa 50).
