Negoro-nuri: Japan's Red-and-Black Lacquer Tradition

On an old Negoro tray, vermilion may remain across the surface while black appears along a handled edge. The contrast comes from red lacquer over a black ground. Contemporary makers also produce Negoro-style finishes, sometimes revealing the black during making rather than waiting for wear.

This Urushi Studies article follows Wajima-nuri and Kishu lacquerware with a style associated with Negoro-ji in Wakayama.

What Is Negoro-nuri?

Negoro-nuri (根来塗) is associated with red lacquer over black on trays, bowls, ewers and stands. Historical red lacquer used cinnabar; a modern maker may use different materials. The product’s own specification establishes its construction.

The layered colour offers a different effect from the sprinkled metal of maki-e or the engraving of chinkin. It places the form and colour contrast at the centre of the design.

The Temple That Gave the Ware Its Name

Negoro-ji is a temple in former Kii Province, now Wakayama. It became a major centre of Shingi Shingon Buddhism. Its name is associated with lacquered utensils used in monastic life.

Wooden bowls, trays and pouring vessels served meals and rituals. Black and red lacquer protected and coloured these forms. Attribution of surviving objects to a specific workshop or temple requires evidence beyond the red-and-black appearance.

In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces devastated Negoro-ji. The National Gallery of Victoria’s historical study treats that year as the conventional end of historical Negoro production. It also explains the difficulty of attributing surviving lacquer objects to particular workshops.

Negoro came to describe a red-over-black style beyond a single temple’s output. The temple itself did not disappear: Negoro-ji’s own history identifies surviving structures and later rebuilding.

Building the red-over-black surface

The National Gallery of Victoria’s study describes historical wooden forms, including zelkova, prepared with reinforcement and lacquer grounds. Its account outlines the following layers; it is not a specification for every contemporary Negoro-style piece.

1. Black ground. The historical account describes three black lacquer coats, cured between applications.
2. Red surface. A red lacquer coat covers the black. Application can leave subtle surface marks.

Wear, age and condition

Handling can gradually expose the black beneath the red. Collectors may value this pattern of wear, but age also brings questions about condition. Cracks, peeling lacquer and damaged exposed wood need assessment before food use.

A modern red-and-black finish may be deliberately rubbed back. Neither visible black nor an uneven surface establishes age. Our kintsugi guide considers a related question: how to appreciate an object’s history while assessing repair and suitability for use.

Forms used for meals and rituals

Surviving forms include meal trays, bowls, spouted yutō for hot water, offering stands and basins. Looking at their handles, feet and pouring edges helps connect the form with its function.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds an Angoya-type offering tray inscribed with a date corresponding to 1384. Its catalogue calls it the oldest known dated example of that tray type, a narrower claim than the oldest surviving Negoro object.

Negoro and other red-and-black surfaces

Kamakura-bori cuts designs into the wooden body before lacquering. Negoro is associated with plainer forms and the red-over-black finish. The shared palette allows comparison, while their making and regional histories differ.

For colour in ceramics, read aka-e red enamel and kuro-yū black glaze. Tsugaru-nuri offers another lacquer tradition built through coloured layers and polishing.

Ceramics for a red-and-black setting

These shop pieces offer contrasting colours and forms. They are ceramics, with their own materials and histories, rather than Negoro lacquer:

• Arita Ko-Imari Lidded Bowl — a covered porcelain form with Imari-style decoration, for a colourful table setting.
• Shigaraki Black & Gold Ikebana Vase — a dark ceramic surface with a gold accent.
• Shigaraki Coffee Cup & Saucer Set — a ceramic cup and saucer with its own glaze texture and care requirements.
• Kutani Floral Ochoko Set — decorated ceramic sake cups that bring a different palette to a small drinking service.

For bowls, dishes, and other objects for the everyday table, explore the Tableware collection.

Care and buying questions

Can you still buy Negoro lacquerware today?

Contemporary makers produce Negoro-style lacquerware. Check the base, coatings and intended use for a new piece; for an antique, ask about provenance, repairs and condition. A collectible object is not automatically suitable for serving food.

How do you care for Negoro-style lacquerware?

For modern wood-based urushi tableware, hand-wash gently in lukewarm water, dry promptly, and avoid soaking, abrasives, dishwashers, microwaves, and direct dry heat unless the maker specifies otherwise. Antique or damaged lacquer needs individual advice before washing or food use. Our urushi care guide explains the everyday routine.

Sources: the Met’s dated Angoya tray, the National Gallery of Victoria’s study and Negoro-ji’s history linked above.