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talkingtabtoday at 4:43 AM3 repliesview on HN

Knowing about Japanese Lacquer (aka Urushi) will change the way that you see the world. Urushi is the sap of a tree that is related to poison oak and posion ivy. You can learn to use it by wearing a biohazard suit or by suffering through until you develop an immunity to the urushiol. To call it "the itch" does not do it justice. You do not really know the full depths of being a human until you decide, with full knowledge of the consequences, to go down this road.

Urushi is transformed by curing in a warm and humid environment to something that is food safe and not toxic - for example Japanese rice bowls. Then there are they myriad decorative techniques such as Rankaku - using quail egg shells for decoration.

I've recently seen the word "entanglement" in a completely different context. But Urushi entangles you in nature and your environment in way that is utterly breath taking. For example: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/modern-masters-...

[edit for grammar and clarity]


Replies

userbinatortoday at 5:25 AM

Epoxy resins are usually pretty toxic when uncured too.

kayfoxtoday at 5:37 AM

You can also grow up exploring the woods in an area with a lot of poison oak like me and it just does not react on your skin.

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halaprotoday at 4:47 AM

Do you work in marketing? Because I read your comment and I extracted nothing of value. Lacquer will change how I see the world? B please.

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