Land of Kirinoko Yamashina – Shitaji for Kintsugi

Kirinoko Yamashina clay is a particularly fine traditional Japanese clay, used in the preparation of Shitaji , the base or foundation of Kintsugi and Urushi lacquer works.

Finer than Tonoko , Kirinoko clay allows for the preparation and refinement of surfaces to obtain a particularly smooth, regular and homogeneous base before the following stages of Urushi work.

A fine soil for Shitaji

Thanks to its fine grain size, Kirinoko is particularly well-suited for work requiring greater precision. It allows for filling and correcting minor irregularities while preparing a clean surface for subsequent layers.

It is notably used in the traditional preparation of backgrounds and is an interesting material for the meticulous work of Kintsugi .

Features

• Traditional Japanese clay with fine grain size
• Thinner than the classic Tonoko
• Suitable for preparing Shitaji
• Allows you to obtain a smooth and even surface
• Suitable for Kintsugi and Urushi lacquer work
• Origin: Yamashina, Kyoto, Japan

Use in Kintsugi

Kirinoko clay can be used to prepare and refine restored areas before the finishing stages. Its fineness facilitates the creation of a homogeneous and precise base, particularly important in traditional techniques using Urushi lacquer .

It thus complements Tonoko when a finer surface preparation is desired.