Lacquer is usually for precious, pricey stuff. Think handcrafted bowls and serving trays, religious artefacts in museum collections, and the facades of old shrines, temples and other architectural ...

Japanese artisans have used lacquer since the Jomon period, which spans approximately 15,000 to 2,300 years ago. At first, people relied on it mainly as an antiseptic or adhesive. Over time, however, ...