Hybrid lacquers that dry quickly in a low-relative-humidity environment were synthesized with the repeated kurome lacquer process and an organic silicone compound. An investigation by gel permeation chromatography showed that fractions with different molecular weights showed a lower monomer concentration than the pure kurome lacquer. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the hybrid lacquers revealed that absorption due to the ether of the quinone olefin and/or dibenzofuran appeared around 1470 and 1080 cm(-1) and increased with the number of drying days. The gel fractions in the lacquer films increased according to the number of drying days, and this showed that the hybrid lacquers had higher gel fractions than the pure kurome lacquer in the initial stage of dryness. In addition, the drying mechanism of the hybrid lacquers was analyzed with an automatic drying time recorder and rigid-body pendulum physical property testing measurements. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.