KUROZAN / AIZA

A work of art that combines two traditional Japanese techniques, "tanning" and "lacquering."

A work of art that combines "tanning techniques" and "lacquering techniques"

"KUROZAN / AIZAN" is a product that combines two of Japan's ancient traditional techniques, "tanning techniques" and "lacquering techniques," using domestically produced Japanese black beef.
It is an extremely valuable material, carefully crafted by hand using a technique that is still handed down at only one house in Japan.

Chemical changes of "tannin" and "iron"

The raw hide of domestically produced Japanese Black Cattle is dehaired, soaked in clean river water for a long time, dried in the sun, and then finished using the traditional Himeji tanning technique of "white tanning," which involves rubbing in salt and rapeseed oil.
In addition, the brown cowhide is transformed into black through a dyeing method that uses the chemical reaction caused by the oxidation of iron, known as iron mordant, and infiltrating the leather with tannins extracted from plants.
By using as few chemicals as possible and using environmentally friendly vegetable tanning methods, we are able to create a plump finish that retains the natural texture of the leather.

More than 4 months to complete

The dyed leather is hand-kneaded to create grained areas, and then lacquer is applied repeatedly only to the raised areas.
The lacquer is applied in thin layers and then dried repeatedly over the course of a month, so it takes more than four months from tanning to completion, including three months for the base coat and one and a half months for the lacquer coating.
By applying multiple layers of lacquer, the gloss and volume of the lacquer are created, adding depth to the black luster.
There are very few Kurozan leathers that are made through such effort, and even specialized craftsmen can only produce about 20 pieces per month, making it an extremely rare item.

Dyeing each piece one by one

Indigo leather is a rarer leather than Kurozan leather that has been dyed with natural indigo. It takes longer to prepare than Kurozan leather because each piece is immersed in a vat of real indigo. In addition, because the raw materials are carefully selected, it is so rare that we don't know when the material will arrive.