Guide to Maki-e

Maki-e is one of the representative decorative techniques of Japanese lacquerware craftsmanship. It involves painting designs or patterns with lacquer and then sprinkling maki-e powder (metal powders such as gold or silver powder) onto a lacquered surface while the lacquer is still wet to create a decorative finish. The technique name comes from the Japanese words maki, “sprinkling,” and e, “painting.”

Maki-e in Japan is said to date at least as far back as the Nara period (710–794 CE). For example, it was used to decorate the scabbard of a Nara-period sword, the Kara-tachi Sword with Gilded Silver Fittings and Inlay, a treasure once belonging to Emperor Shomu (701–756 CE) that lies in the Shosoin Repository. From the Heian period (794–1185 CE) onwards, the technique came to be known as maki-e, and by the Kamakura period (1185–1333 CE), the basic techniques of maki-e (hira maki-e, togidashi maki-e, and taka maki-e) had been perfected.

This guide covers the types, materials, and techniques of maki-e. Part Two will provide a walkthrough of how maki-e is crafted.

*This article and all images are provided by Hariya Masayuki of Urushi Art Hariya. English translation by Team Musubi.

There are three main types of basic maki-e techniques: hira maki-e, togidashi maki-e, and taka maki-e. We will introduce these techniques and their variations: shishiai togidashi maki-e; kiji maki-e, which is maki-e lacquer on a plain wood surface; and modern maki-e, which is known for its maki-e stickers.

In hira maki-e, also known in English as flat maki-e, a design or pattern is drawn with lacquer, and while the lacquer is still wet, maki-e powder is sprinkled onto the surface to adhere to it. Once the lacquer has dried, another layer of lacquer is applied on top to prevent the maki-e powder from peeling off. After the lacquer has hardened, the maki-e portion is sanded to make the maki-e powder shine. It is then polished to bring out its luster, and the maki-e piece is complete.

A masterpiece of the Momoyama period (1573–1603 CE), Kodaiji Maki-e, which decorates the mausoleum and furnishings of Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto, was created using hira maki-e.

Togidashi maki-e is the oldest style of maki-e.

Sometimes referred to in English as burnished maki-e, the first part of the crafting process is the same as that of hira maki-e: a design or pattern is drawn with lacquer, then maki-e powder is sprinkled over, and more lacquer is applied over the powder to prevent it from coming off. After that, the technique differs: lacquer is applied to the entire surface, and once it has hardened, the design or pattern is burnished or sanded to create a soft, hazy impression.

A characteristic of this technique is that the maki-e and the base surface of the piece of lacquerware are at the same height. It is used in landscapes to depict distant mountains, and in painted scenes to create motifs like goldfish swimming underwater. 

Incidentally, the very first maki-e designs are said to have been togidashi maki-e. The oldest national treasure that can be dated, the Maki-e Lacquered Box with Hosoge Flowers and Karyobinga Designs, features togidashi maki-e designs.

The decoration on the scabbard of the Kara-tachi Sword mentioned above also uses techniques common to togidashi maki-e, although the method is known by a different name: makkinru (powdered-gold inlay).

Maki-e is crafted with lacquer and maki-e powder, but what exactly is lacquer? While one might be able to imagine the types of maki-e powder, such as gold powder, likely, few people have actually seen it. Since maki-e is a decorative art form, it requires a base material (soji) on which the decoration is applied. We will introduce the foundations commonly used in lacquer art: pearl oyster shell, amber, tortoiseshell, and wood.

The lacquer tree is primarily distributed across East Asia to Southeast Asia, including Japan, China, the Korean Peninsula, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar. The availability of raw lacquer in these areas is what led to the flourishing of lacquer crafts in Asia.

The sap used for lacquer in Japanese lacquer crafts is derived from the urushi tree of the Toxicodendron genus in the Anacardiaceae family, which is found in Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula.

The kanji character for “lacquer” (漆) consists of the radical for “water” (氵) combined with the character for “tree” (木). This character represents the sap dripping from the tree, and the character’s Japanese reading, urushi, is said to derive from uruwashi (beautiful) and uruoi (moisture). As the name suggests, when you touch a lacquered surface, you can feel the smooth familiarity of its texture.

Another characteristic of lacquer is that it takes time to harden; however, once hardened, it is resistant to acids and alkalis, and it has strong heat-insulating properties. Lacquer is such a strong material that even lacquerware excavated from more than two thousand years ago shows no sign of decay or dissolution.

In maki-e, lacquer is used as an adhesive for maki-e powder, to add luster, and to increase the strength of the surface to which it is applied.

Depending on the purpose, different types are used. Types include raw lacquer, shuai (vermilion-mixed) lacquer, bengara (red-iron-oxide) lacquer, and colored lacquer.

This photograph shows shuai lacquer, which is produced by refining raw lacquer (ki-urushi) through nayashi (stirring and kneading to improve smoothness and gloss) and kurome (dehydrating to increase viscosity, allowing thicker application). This results in kurome urushi, an amber-colored, translucent brown lacquer, to which 20–30% oil is added to increase transparency and gloss.

When mixing frequently used lacquer and colored lacquer, they are placed in porcelain dishes and covered with washi paper to prevent them from drying out.

Maki-e powder refers to various metal powders used in maki-e, such as gold, silver, copper, brass, and their alloys.

Gold powder: Though at first glance it looks like kinako (roasted soybean flour), the powder on the left in the image is actually gold powder. Gold powder close to pure gold is also called yakifun, literally “burnt powder.”

Nashiji “pear skin” powder: This, too, is gold powder, but the method of production changes the luster of the gold color.

Silver powder: Used at Urushi Art Hariya to represent the moon or as a base for raised maki-e. Silver maki-e tends to lose its luster over time with use, but gently polishing it with silver polish restores its shine.

Another type of maki-e powder is kanshitsu-fun (powder made by hardening colored lacquer and grinding). There are various shapes and grain sizes, such as maru-fun (made by filing down a metal block and rolling into balls), hirame-fun (made by flattening maru-fun), nashiji-fun (made by further flattening maru-fun into thinner grains), and keshi-fun (made by grinding the edges of gold leaf). Generally, gold and silver powder are in the form of maru-fun. During the grinding and polishing stages of maki-e, maru-fun produces its characteristic shine.

Aogai is a general term for shells used in mother-of-pearl inlay work, including great green turban shell, abalone shell, and Mexican abalone shell.

Mother-of-pearl is divided into thin shell and thick shell, with the thickness adjusted according to the intended use. The thin shell is made by peeling off layers of the shell using a boiling method. The thick shell is cut into patterns using a chisel or saw, then shaped with sandpaper before use.

This photograph shows an abalone shell and a thin abalone shell piece. Abalone has vivid color, but black lines run through it, so only limited areas can be processed.

The thin shell of a great green turban (left) and the thin shell of an abalone (right).

Against a black background, the shells take on a blue appearance. When thin-shell aogai are used for inlay work, charcoal is applied to bring out the color. A charcoal-coated shell is shown on the right.

Chogai, known as gold-lip pearl oysters (also called silver-lip pearl oysters), are the mother shells of South Sea and black pearls.

Gold- and silver-lip pearl oysters: These are large species that can grow to over 30 cm (11.3 in). Their shells are thick, with a silky white inner surface that shimmers with captivating iridescent colors. For centuries, they have been prized in Europe and America as materials for crafts, luxury buttons, and the handles of knives and forks. The edges of the inner surface (the pearlescent side) are called “silver-lip” when white and “gold-lip” when yellowish. Silver-lip shells produce white-silver pearls with absolutely no yellowish tint, while gold-lip shells produce yellow, cream, and gold-colored pearls. The main places of origin are Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

Black-lip pearl oysters: These are also large species, growing up to 20 cm (7.9 in). Their coloring is mainly green-based, with red, green, and yellow pigments mixed in, producing pearls in a wide variety of colors. Although black pearls are typically produced from black-lip oysters, these oysters can also yield silver-white pearls. The reddish-green color of black-lip oysters changes in tone depending on the angle from which they are viewed, similar to the feathers of a peacock, which is why they are sometimes called peacock green. Since black-lip oysters are actively mobile, they can produce perfectly round pearls, but they also often produce baroque (unique shapes) and ringed pearls (pearls with band-like rings around the surface). They primarily originate from Tahiti.

These are black-lip pearl oysters (left) and gold- or silver-lip pearl oysters (right) processed into oval shapes measuring 5.5 cm (2.1 in) vertically and 4.5 cm (1.7 in) horizontally. Gold- or silver-lip pearl oyster shells of this size are rare.

Yellow-transparent amber containing insects (left), and dyed amber (center and right). Recently, dyeing technology has advanced, allowing blue-dyed amber, which was previously considered difficult to produce, to become available (because the natural orange or yellow color of amber would previously mix with the blue dye to create green or blue-green instead of pure blue).

This is the largest piece of amber at Urushi Art Hariya, measuring 13 cm (5.1 in) in height, 27 cm (10.6 in) in circumference, and weighing 549 g (13.4 oz). To show the scale, a 4 cm (1.4 in) white mother-of-pearl brooch has been placed next to it.

When rubbed with sandpaper, amber releases a scent similar to pine resin, a reminder that amber comes from solidified tree sap.

Bekko refers to the shell of the sea turtles (hawksbill sea turtle), which inhabits the South Pacific.

It has been treasured since ancient times as a luxury decorative material. Because it contains nikawa, a gelatinous substance, it can be worked by applying heat and pressure. Valued for distinctive caramel-colored patterns and luster, tortoiseshell also has a light relative density and a warm feel.

The kanzashi (traditional Japanese hair ornament) shown on the right is partly made of tortoiseshell from the underside of the hawksbill turtle. This variety is known as shiroko (white shell), a type with no brown markings.

Tortoiseshell is susceptible to insect damage, so if not used for a long period, it should be stored in an airtight bag (Urushi Art Hariya provides an airtight bag at the time of delivery).

Note: Tortoiseshell is prohibited from international import and export under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The tortoiseshell material currently available in Japan is made from material imported before the ban was implemented.

Kiji refers to the wooden base used in lacquerware.

Fuki-urushi, or wiped lacquer, is a type of coating that protects the wood from water and oil while bringing out the beauty of the grain. Lacquer is rubbed thinly into the surface and evenly wiped off. This process is repeated many times to build up a lacquer film. Because any roughness or scratches in the wood will show through, wiped lacquer can only be applied to precision-crafted wood bases.

Lacquerware is the general term for lacquered objects. In practice, lacquer is applied to a wooden base in layers: base coat, middle coat, and top coat. The top coat includes plain finishes without patterns, such as roiro finishes, and patterned finishes known as kawari-nuri. Kawari-nuri developed during the Edo period (1603–1868 CE) as a decoration for sword sheaths, giving rise to various innovative techniques. It is said that there are hundreds of lacquerware techniques and names.

Maki-e includes types such as hira maki-e, togidashi maki-e, and taka maki-e. Beyond these, a range of specialized techniques adds depth and nuance to the craft. An understanding of these methods allows each work to be appreciated more fully, revealing the intricacy behind its creation.

Kakiwari is a technique in which maki-e powder is sprinkled without applying lacquer, creating boundary lines such as leaf veins or the edges of bird wings. In the photo, this technique is used for the delicate lines of the wisteria petals and the veins of the leaves.

Keuchi is a technique in which lines are drawn in hira maki-e over a design after the polishing process is complete. This technique emphasizes details such as animal fur and bird feathers, making them stand out more vividly. In this photo, the face, back, and shoulders of the kingfisher are highlighted using this technique.

Harigaki, or needle-drawing, is a technique in which fine lines are scratched into the surface with a sharp tool such as a needle after maki-e powder has been applied. In the photo, the golden clouds beneath Mount Fuji are rendered using harigaki.

Raden zaiku, or mother-of-pearl inlay, uses shells such as great green turban, abalone, or pearl oyster, which are cut into patterns and inlaid or affixed. Inlay is divided into thin shell and thick shell, with the thickness adjusted according to purpose. A thin shell is made by peeling layers with a boiling method. Because abalone and great green turban shells used for thin shells often appear bluish, they are also called aogai, which literally translates to “blue shell.” The thick shell is cut into patterns with a chisel or saw and shaped with a file before use.

In this example, the motif of the river embankment is created using thick shell.

Here the eyes of the medaka“rice fish” are made using thin shell, while the cherry blossom petal is made using thick shell.

A type of kawari-nuri. In this technique, quail eggshells are soaked in vinegar to remove black speckles, shaped, and then affixed with lacquer. Since lacquer, as tree sap, has a translucent amber tone, it does not become pure white even with white pigment added. Rankaku-nuri is therefore used to depict whiteness in motifs such as snow and egrets. In the photo, the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji is expressed with this technique.

Gintsuyu, or silver dew, is used to depict dew on leaves. The small tack-shaped pieces are also called ginbyo (silver tacks). Before the lacquer dries, the protruding side of the silver piece is pressed down where dew is to be shown. In the photo, dew on bush clover and pampas grass is depicted with gintsuyu.

Okihirame, a flat inlay technique, involves arranging and affixing larger hirame-fun (round gold powder flattened into oval shapes). In the photo, the rim of the incense burner’s lid is decorated using okihirame.

Keep an eye out for Part Two of this Guide to Maki-e, in which we’ll walk you through, with examples, each step in the process of creating a maki-e piece, from design to finished product.