This chopstick is an elegantly crafted! The Wakasa
Takachijo Black Japanese chopsticks are 9 inches in length with carving that
creates vertical striping down
the sides. Beautiful colors of black, red and tan
design. The chopsticks have a base of Malas wood (Homalium tomentosum), harvested in Indonesia. They have an Acrylic Urethane protective finish. Made in Japan.
Each chopstick is very labor
intensive and can contain up to 50+ layers of lacquer. Wakasa nuri hashi
- made in the Fukui prefecture, located along the coast of the Sea of
Japan, since the Edo period. Craftsmen apply multiple layers of lacquer
to each chopstick and depending on the style, may also incorporate small
pieces of shell or mother of pearl to enhance the design. The final
design of the chopsticks comes from how the lacquer coatings are carved
in order to expose the layers. Carving can also determine the final
shape of the chopstick. After carving the chopstick must be polished in
order to bring out the beauty and colors of the lacquering.