Hida Shunkei Lacquerware is painted with transparent lacquer to show off the wood grains. Usually it is made by two professionals, one who forms the shape of the wood and one who paints on the lacquer. The transparent lacquer turns into rich amber color with use and age.
Hida Shunkei Lacquerware was first made about 400 years ago, when Narita Sanzaemon painted a birdcage with a light yellowish lacquer and presented it to Shigechika, also known as Sowa, a master of the tea ceremony. A year later Sanzaemon painted lacquer on a beautiful, wood grain tray made by Takahashi Uezaemon and dedicated it to Shigechika.
Shigechika was very pleased with the tray and named the craft Shunkei Lacquer, as the color resembled a tea bowl which was called Hisyunkei was made by Kato Kagemasa. The word Shunkei also means the joy of spring.
Shigechika thought the elegant and refined Shunkei Lacquerware could be used to express the "wabi and sabi", the beauty found in the simplicity of the tea ceremony, and he ordered more trays. Eventually, Shunkei Lacquerware developed and became very popular.
Kamioka town is the birthplace of Hikimono (or Marumono) which is the art of carving wood into round shapes using a wheel. It started when Ikeda Shigezo from Takayama painted Shunkei Lacquer on the wooden items made at the Funatsu Woodworks in Kamioka.