nikawa　膠

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

A transparent or semi-transparent animal glue, used as a binder *baizai 媒剤, and an adhesive. Nikawa is durable and elastic, although it loses flexibility with age. It is made from the skins, bones, tendons and intestines of animals or fish skins and bones, which are boiled in water to extract gelatin. Excess water is evaporated away, and after cooling leaves a jelly-like glue. Nikawa does not dissolve in cold water, but can be dissolved when heated. A solution of a few percent concentration is used in Japanese painting *nihonga 日本画 to adhere the pigments *ganryou 顔料 and fix them to the picture surface. Nikawa is mixed with alum to make *dousa 礬水 for sizing paper and is used as a primary coat in oil painting, abura-e 油絵. Nikawa has many uses as an adhesive for wood, paper and cloth, and acts as binder for substances such as the white pigment *gofun 胡粉, and *tonoko 砥の粉, applied to statues before painting.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。