By Jang Jae-il
Staff Reporter

SEOUL?orean lacquer ware tradition traces its roots back to the pre-Three Kingdom era. ?acquer ware artifacts have ben unearthed from many ancient tombs, said Kim Cha-bong, 62, who has devoted 46 years of his life to lacquer craftsmanship.

The Korean craftsmanship tradition allows only the naturally obtained color red or transparent lacquer for painting wooden structures.

The color pigments which are mixed with oil derived from pine sap before being painted on wooded wares are simply lacquer powder dyed naturally in all colors. The transparent lacquer is obtained by stirring purified lacquer for quite a long time either manually or by using a machine. The lacquer coating has to be as smooth as possible. ?f I find any unevenness in the lacquer coating, then I polish the surface and apply another coating, until I achieve a blemish-free product, Kim, who learned his craft in Tongyong, Kyongsang-namdo said.

He acknowledged that some people have allergic reactions to lacquer as they suffer itchiness and skin rashes when they come in direct contact with raw lacquer or wooden wares coated with it.

However, lacquer wares are hotly sought after by many people despite their steep price tags.

?acquer naturally possesses a special anti-cancer substance in it. It kills germs upon direct contact and is good for consumption as it prevents various illnesses by clearing the stomach and blood stream. Lacquer coating also prevents wood from rotting. Kim said.

Koreans have long known these positive and healthy qualities of lacquer coated wooden wares before modern science discovered them. The lacquer is obtained from the lacquer tree.

Kim said that the best time to collect lacquer is autumn when it has the appropriate amount of moisture.

?orean lacquer is harder when dried and more penetrating when coated on wooden wares than its Chinese or Japanese counterparts. Also, Korean lacquer spreads over double the surface area using the same amount than Japanese or Chinese lacquer, Kim said.

The lacquer is squeezed through filters made of ramie or silk gauze, although nylon gauze is preferred nowadays. Then the lacquer is further purified through squeezing it through a cotton layer placed between sheets of special paper. At the end of the grueling process, the color of the lacquer changes from lavender to milk white.

At his home workshop in Kure, Kyonggi-do, Kim has been endeavoring to advance lacquer ware craft so that implements can be made for the daily use. ? make virutally every tool used in dining with lacquer coated wooden wares such as rice bowls, soup bowls, forks and knives, chop sticks and spoons, coffee cups and saucers, dining tables, liquor bottles, glasses and flower bases just to name a few, he said.

Humidity and temperature has to be just right for lacquer coating to dry properly.

Kim said, ? place my freshly lacquer coated ware to dry in a special room for four hours where the humidity is set to 60-65 percent and temperature to 25-30 degrees Celsius. Then I take them out and dry them in the room for one whole day, Only then, the lacquer hardens completely and properly.

Interestingly, the brushes he uses to paint his wooden wares with lacquer are made out of human hair as he said, ?uman hair is the most resilient and of the finest quality for lacquer painting.

To place orders for his lacquer wares, call him at his workshop (0346-572-0520) or at his office (02-436-5440-l).