SIGNED AND SEALED ZESHIN, EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

THE WAVE-PATTERNED SEIGAIHA EFFECT, ONE OF ZESHIN'S INNOVATIONS, IS ACHIEVED BY DRAWING A COMB OR POINTED SPATULA THROUGH A THIN LAYER OF WET LACQUER. ALTHOUGH THE LACQUER IS MIXED WITH EITHER CEREAL STARCH OR WHITE LEAD TO IMPROVE ITS VISCOSITY, THIS APPARENTLY SIMPLE TECHNIQUE REQUIRES GREAT SKILL AND ACCURACY SINCE MISTAKES CANNOT BE CORRECTED ¹.
¹ JOE EARLE AND TADAOMI GOKE, MEIJI NO TAKARA, TREASURES OF IMPERIAL JAPAN, MASTERPIECES BY SHIBATA ZESHIN IN THE KHALILI COLLECTION (LONDON, 1996), P. 26.