Komao Hayashi

Master Komao Hayashi stands as one of the last guardians of Japan's most precious artistic traditions - the ancient art of urushi lacquerware. Born in Wajima, the heartland of Japanese lacquer craftsmanship, Hayashi-san represents the 27th generation in an unbroken lineage of lacquer masters dating back to the Muromachi period.

His workshop, nestled in the mountains of Ishikawa Prefecture, operates much as it did centuries ago. Here, time moves to the rhythm of nature - the careful harvesting of urushi sap from lacquer trees, the patient application of dozens of layers, and the years-long process of creating a single masterpiece.

The Living Art of Urushi

Urushi is not merely a decorative technique but a profound dialogue between artist and material. The lacquer itself is alive, requiring specific temperature and humidity conditions to cure properly. Hayashi-san's workshop maintains underground chambers where pieces rest between applications, some remaining in these controlled environments for up to five years.

"Urushi teaches patience and humility," Hayashi-san reflects. "The lacquer decides when it is ready, not the artist. We must listen to its voice and respond accordingly."

Mastery Through Generations

Hayashi-san's expertise encompasses three of the most challenging urushi techniques:

Maki-e (蒔絵) - Sprinkled Gold
Using brushes made from rat whiskers and gold powder ground finer than pollen, Hayashi-san creates luminous designs that seem to float within the lacquer's depths. His signature technique involves up to 50 layers of transparent lacquer over gold, creating an effect where images appear three-dimensional and change with viewing angle.

Raden (螺鈿) - Mother of Pearl Inlay
Hayashi-san sources abalone and turban shells from specific locations known only to his family. The shells are hand-cut into pieces thinner than paper and inlaid with such precision that the seams are invisible even under magnification. His masterwork, a sake set depicting the phases of the moon in mother of pearl, took eight years to complete.

Cho-shitsu (彫漆) - Carved Lacquer
This technique requires applying hundreds of colored lacquer layers, then carving through them to reveal patterns. A single mistake requires starting over. Hayashi-san's carved lacquer boxes can have up to 300 layers, each taking a week to cure, representing over five years of preparation before carving begins.

The Sacred Materials

The urushi used in Hayashi-san's workshop comes from trees his family has tended for over 300 years. Each tree yields only 200 grams of sap annually and can be harvested for just 15 years before requiring a century of rest. The most precious sap, collected during the first frost, produces a lacquer of incomparable clarity and depth.

His gold comes from a single mine that has supplied the imperial family for generations. The silver is sourced from coins minted during the Edo period, melted and refined to achieve a specific luminosity. Even the brushes are treasures - some made from the fur of now-extinct Japanese wolves, passed down through 20 generations.

The Workshop Legacy

Hayashi-san's workshop is itself a cultural treasure. The building, constructed without nails using interlocking wooden joints, houses tools that have been in continuous use for centuries:

- Brushes made from human baby hair, used only for the finest detail work
- Polishing stones worn smooth by 400 years of use
- Mixing bowls carved from 1,000-year-old keyaki wood
- A collection of natural pigments, some no longer obtainable

The workshop follows the traditional apprenticeship system. Students spend their first three years merely observing and preparing materials. Only in their fourth year may they touch lacquer, and a full 15 years pass before they are permitted to create original works. Currently, only two apprentices study under Hayashi-san, selected from over 300 applicants.

Collectors and Commissions

Hayashi-san accepts only three commissions annually, with a waiting list that extends to 2035. His pieces are held in the collections of major museums worldwide and by private collectors who understand that they are acquiring not just objects but condensed time and tradition.

Prices for his work begin at ¥3,000,000 for small items such as tea caddies, with major pieces commanding upwards of ¥50,000,000. Each piece comes with extensive documentation including photographs of every stage of creation, samples of the materials used, and a personal letter from Hayashi-san explaining the work's spiritual significance.

Philosophy of Impermanence

Despite creating works intended to last millennia, Hayashi-san embraces the Buddhist concept of impermanence. He intentionally includes minute "flaws" in each piece - a slightly irregular gold line, an asymmetrical pattern - believing that perfection is static while imperfection contains life.

"My works will outlive me by a thousand years," he notes, "yet they too will eventually return to dust. This knowledge makes each moment of creation precious."