Negoro Revealed: Special Exhibition Explores the Mystery of Japan's Red and Black Lacquer
Rinka-bon (lobed tray), Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. (By Kyosuke Sasaki)
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From September 20 to November 9, the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts invites visitors to explore the special exhibition NEGORO: The Art of Fascinating Lacquerware in Red and Black.
Characterized by simple, practical forms, durable construction, and the patina that emerges as vivid vermilion lacquer wears away to reveal black beneath, Negoro embodies an austere beauty. This exhibition assembles masterworks of vermilion lacquerware to trace the origins of their appeal. It will be on view at the museum in Tennoji-ku, Osaka, from September 20 to November 9.
Sacred Beginnings
"Negoro" generally refers to lacquerware crafted with a sturdy underlayer, a black middle coat, and a final finish of vermilion. Once used as ritual implements in temples and shrines, these works came to be known as "Negoro" after the Negoro-ji temple. This vast temple complex prospered in medieval Kishu (modern-day Wakayama Prefecture). The exact connection, however, remains unclear.
Negoro-ji was established in the late Heian period (12th century) by Kakuban, who also served as abbot of Koyasan Kongobu-ji. From the late 13th century, it evolved into the center of Shingi Shingon scholarship, attracting large numbers of monks. During the Muromachi period (14th to 16th centuries), it flourished as a vast sacred site with thousands of sub-temples and extensive estates. In 1585, however, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, wary of its influence, destroyed the complex.
The name of this once-mighty temple endured as a label for vermilion lacquerware, "said to have been made at Negoro." From the Meiji era (19th to 20th centuries) onward, its restrained beauty won the admiration of the literati and came to be appreciated as a form of art.
More recently, figures such as film director Akira Kurosawa and cultural critic Masako Shirasu treasured Negoro pieces. Items from their former collections will also be on view, offering visitors a chance to experience the red-and-black lacquerware that so captivated Japan's cultural elite.
No Negoro in Negoro
As the old saying goes, "There is no Negoro in Negoro." Since Toyotomi Hideyoshi's destruction of the temple, lacquerware has not been produced in the surrounding area, leaving the true origins of "Negoro" cloaked in mystery. This exhibition reconsiders the deep ties between lacquerware and Japanese life, tracing the history of Negoro to approach the core of its enigma.
On September 28 at 11:00 AM, the museum will host a lecture by Shinzan Ikenoue, head of the Negoro-nuri Shozankai. Shinzan's group believes in the existence of Negoro-nuri originating from Negoro-ji, and has revived medieval Negoro techniques under the name "Negoro-nuri." His talk, Negoro Seen Through Technique — The Differences Between Negoro and Other Lacquerware, aims to shed new light on the craft.
On October 11 and 18, the exhibition's curator will present highlight lectures, followed on October 26 by Sakae Naito, Director of the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. Each lecture begins at 2:00 PM.
The venue is the museum's first-floor public space, Jaorium. No reservations are required, and admission is free of charge. However, attendees must present a same-day ticket for the special exhibition. Numbered tickets will be distributed outside Jaorium starting 30 minutes before each lecture.
Exhibition Overview
Exhibition Dates: September 20 (Sat) – November 9 (Sun), 2025
Closed: Mondays (except September 22)
Note: When Monday is a public holiday, the museum will be open and instead close the following weekday.
Venue: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (within Tennoji Park)
Organizers: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, The Sankei Shimbun
Sponsors: Sun M Color, YAMAGIWA
Support: Iwade City Board of Education, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau
Special Cooperation: Negoro-ji, head temple of Shingi Shingon Buddhism
Cooperation: Negoro-nuri Shozankai
Official Website: https://www.osaka-art-museum.jp/sp_evt/negoro
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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