Maki-e
Maki-e, literally sprinkled picture, is a Japanese lacquer technique in which a design is drawn in wet lacquer and then sprinkled with metal powder, usually gold or silver, before being sealed and polished. The term first appears in the Heian period, and a sword scabbard of the Nara period kept in the Shosoin treasure house uses a related technique, which is why some date the art's beginnings to the eighth century.
Definition
Lacquer, urushi, is the sap of the lacquer tree, applied in thin coats and hardened. In maki-e the lacquer is used as an adhesive. The artist draws the design, sprinkles powder onto it through bamboo tubes or with soft brushes, lets it set and protects it with further lacquer. Gold and silver are the classic powders, but makers also use copper, brass, platinum, pewter and alloys to vary colour and texture. Maki-e is often combined with raden, inlaid mother-of-pearl shell, and with metal or ivory inlay.
Three techniques make up the core of the art. Hira maki-e is flat: the design is sprinkled, sealed and lightly polished, so it sits just on the surface. Togidashi maki-e is buried: the whole surface, design and ground, is coated in black lacquer and then polished back until the gold reappears, level and smooth. Taka maki-e is raised: the design is built up in relief before the powder is applied. A combination of togidashi and taka, called shishiai togidashi, is also widely used.
Origin
Togidashi came before hira. Hira maki-e developed in the second half of the Heian period and was perfected in the Kamakura period, once metal powders could be ground finely enough. Because it was the simplest, it became popular in the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the late sixteenth century, when maki-e was made in quantity. In our handling, Edo maki-e appears on everything from sword stands to sake ewers and the inro worn at the sash, and modern makers have carried it onto the fountain pen.
Key facts
| Meaning | Sprinkled picture |
|---|---|
| Term first recorded | Heian period |
| Techniques | Hira (flat), togidashi (polished level), taka (raised); shishiai togidashi (combined) |
| Powders | Gold, silver, copper, brass, platinum, pewter and alloys |
| Often combined with | Raden shell inlay, metal or ivory inlay |
How to identify it
- Raking light. Turn the piece under a low light. Taka maki-e casts small shadows; hira sits barely proud; togidashi is perfectly level with the ground.
- The powder. Under a loupe, sprinkled gold shows as grains; painted or printed gold is a continuous film. In our handling, this is the quickest way to tell maki-e from later imitations.
- Mixed techniques. In our handling, many pieces combine the three methods on one surface, with raised rocks or cranes in taka maki-e over a flat or polished ground; describe each part rather than the whole.
- Wear. Hira maki-e wears first on high points and edges, because its gold sits on the surface; togidashi wears more evenly.
- The ground. In our reading, the lacquer ground deserves as much attention as the design; an even, deep ground is a sign of care.
Where it appears in the collection
Maki-e runs through the Japanese arts and antiques shelf. We hold an Edo period black lacquer sword stand with gold maki-e, a pair of antique maki-e sake ewers and a Pilot Kokko-kai maki-e fountain pen with chrysanthemums. The craft is read at length in our guide to Japanese lacquer and maki-e, and the pens in our guide to maki-e fountain pens.
Related entries
Sources
- Maki-e, encyclopaedia entry, sections on technique and history. wikipedia.org
Last reviewed 15 November 2026. The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team, Tokyo, Japan.