japanese lacquer tree
Noun: A small tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum, formerly Rhus verniciflua) native to Asia, particularly China, Japan, and Korea. It yields a toxic, allergenic sap that is processed to create lacquer, a durable and glossy coating used for decorative and protective purposes on wood and other materials.
The term "Japanese lacquer tree" specifically names the plant species that is the source of urushi, or Japanese lacquer. * The Japanese lacquer tree is cultivated for its valuable sap. * Lacquerware is made from the processed sap of the Japanese lacquer tree.
- The tree is also known as the lacquer tree or varnish tree.
- In botanical and artisanal contexts, the term precisely identifies the source material for a traditional craft, distinguishing it from synthetic or other natural lacquers.
- Lacquer tree: A more general name for the same species.
- Urushi: The Japanese name for both the tree and the refined lacquer sap obtained from it.
- Toxicodendron vernicifluum: The modern scientific (Latin) name for the species.
- Varnish tree
- Lacquer tree
The primary and sole meaning of "Japanese lacquer tree" is the botanical source of natural lacquer. It does not refer to the finished lacquer product itself, the craft of lacquerware, or any other type of tree. The modifier "Japanese" associates the tree with the region where its sap has been most famously used in a high art form for centuries.
- small Asiatic tree yielding a toxic exudate from which lacquer is obtained