Bodiless lacquer (Kanshitsu in Japanese) literally means dry lacquer technique. It is a technique used to produce Buddihist statues brought from China in the late 7th century, and disseminated to Japan throughout the Nara period.  The technique is done by a rough core first modelled in clay and then layers of hemp cloth soaked in lacquer applied over the surface. Each layer is being left to dry before the next layer is to be added. The clay or wood core will then be removed, forming a lightweight hollow body made of lacquer and hemp cloth.