The Elusive Lacquer, Gonzetsu

About Gonzetsu

Gonzetsu, a lacquer described in the Engishiki book of laws and customs (AD 927), is thought to have disappeared from use in Heian times. Since 2012, I have been working to restore this lacquer to use. The Edo-period scholar Arai Hakuseki (1657-1725) also wrote about this lacquer. Today, the question remains—which genus of flowering tree in the family Araliaceae did gonzetsu derive from? Was it the koshiabura (Acanthopanax sciadophylloides), the takanotsume (Evodiopanax innovans; Gamblea), or the kakuremino (Den- dropanax trifidus)? Or was it a general name for the sap of all three?

In the Engishiki, it is written that gonzetsu lacquer was offered as an an- nual tribute but in far smaller amounts than urushi lacquer. When actually try- ing to tap this sap, I found it much hard- er to tap than urushi. It was pastier than urushi sap, and the sap which did seep out was hard to collect on a spatula.

In Korea, it is written in the Kudara-Hon-ki (Chronicles of Paekche) in the San-goku-shiki (History of Three Kingdoms) that gonzetsu was valued under the name “yellow lacquer” (hwangchil). The yellow lacquer was apparently tapped from a tree of the Aralia (spikenard) genus of the family Araliaceae (source: “Korean Culture—Yellow Lacquer of Mystery,” Morning Calm, Korean Airlines inflight magazine, spring 2014 edition). Of interest, in this connection, is the 16th episode of the Korean drama “Ballad of Seo Dong,” concerning the endeavor to find the formula used to make a “golden suit of armor” sent by Kudara to Sui Dynasty China. According to the drama, the yellow lacquer trees are medicinal trees, quite rare to find and difficult to tap. The yellow lacquer was applied to armor and other metal implements of war to impart a golden sheen. It was apparently also used as a rust preven- tative and in ceremonial ornaments having a power to thwart the enemy. In some cases, it was applied to ox hide. Gonzetsu is thus mentioned in numer- ous historical writings and such, but the tree from which the sap derives has yet to be identified.

When I tried applying the sap I had, with difficulty, obtained, it appeared like varnish or clear lacquer. With its trans- parent amber quality, gonzetsu was per- haps perceived as a unique, mysterious substance in the Heian period. As pre- viously mentioned, only a small amount of the lacquer can be harvested, less than one sixth of what is obtained when tapping urushi. My personal conjecture is that gonzetsu fell from use in Heian Japan owing to its small volumes and the fact it does not provide the strong coating associated with urushi lacquer. I am not a researcher, and many botanical or historical aspects of my understand- ing may be in error, so my views should be taken strictly as personal speculation.