Raden is a traditional Japanese decorative craft. It is art of inlaying mother-of-pearl shell pieces in wooden surfaces. The pieces reflect light and shine beautiful in white, blue, and other colors.
Main materials are marbled turban , abalone, and pearl oyster shells.They are abraded to 0.09mm-0.2mm thin.
Marbled turban
abalone(New Zealand)
abalone
The production process is a labor of love, with delicate handcraft techniques repeated many times. The base metal is abraded and an undercoat of urushi is applied, then heat-seared onto the metal. The seashells are ground to a consistent thickness and cut into tiny fragments before being affixed to the surface. After this, multiple layers of black urushi are applied in a cycle of “apply---allow to dry---polish” that brings out the luminosity of the seashell and urushi.
Mother-of-pearl shells
Cutting
Cutting strips
Arranging shell pieces
Applying black Urushi
Removing black Urushi
Urushi is a beautiful and lustrous natural lacquer, highly prized for its durability and chemical resistance. The word is thought to derive from the Japanese “uruwashi” meaning “beautiful,” or “uruosu,” meaning to “moisten or wet.” The urushi used in this jewelry, exclusively produced in Japan, is highly refined and takes on an ever more enchanting depth and beauty with each passing year.