Maki-e. is a Japanese lacquer decoration technique in which pictures, patterns, and letters are drawn with lacquer on the surface of lacquerware, and then metal powder such as gold or silver is sprinkled and fixed on the surface of the lacquerware. The origin of the term maki-e is a compound word of maki meaning "sprinkling" and e meaning "picture" or "design". The term can also be used to refer to lacquerware made with this decorative technique. The term  first appeared in the Heian period.

This technique is the most used technique in Japanese lacquer decoration. The  is often combined with other techniques such as  in which a nacreous layer of mollusk shell lining is embedded or pasted in lacquer,  in which metal or ivory is embedded in lacquer, and  in which gold leaf or gold powder is embedded in a hollow where lacquer has been shaved.

To create different colours and textures,  artists use a variety of metal powders including gold, silver, copper, brass, lead, aluminum, platinum, and pewter, as well as their alloys. Bamboo tubes and soft brushes of various sizes are used for laying powders and drawing fine lines. As it requires highly skilled craftsmanship to produce a  painting, young artists usually go through many years of training to develop the skills and to ultimately become  masters.  (1410–1478) was the first lacquer master linked to specific works. His  works used designs from various Japanese contemporary painters. Kōami and another  master, , were originators of the two major schools of lacquer-making in the history of Japan.

Major techniques and their history

Classification by manufacturing process 
 is roughly classified into three techniques of ,  and  as a process classification. In Japan, these three techniques and , which is a combination of  and , are widely used. These  processes are started after the normal lacquerware process is finished. In other words, it is necessary to make a thick foundation layer of lacquer in advance by repeating a series of works such as coating the wood or paper with lacquer using a spatula or brush, drying it and polishing it.

At the first stage, a preliminary sketch process called  is performed. After the original picture is drawn on the paper, thin  is overlapped and copied along the outline from above, and then lacquer is applied to the outline drawn on the  with a thin brush, and is pressed to the surface of the lacquerware to transfer. If the picture or pattern is simple, this process may be omitted. The next step, called , is the preparation process before metal powder is sprinkled. Lacquer is applied to the place where metal powder is to be sprinkled and it is used as an adhesive. Then, in a process called  metal powder is sprinkled using a bird's feather shaft or a bamboo tube. In the next  process, lacquer is applied on top of metal powder to protect the metal powder, and then the lacquer is dried. The first polishing is performed in the next  process. The lacquer is slightly polished to expose only the surface of the metal powder with the metal powder embedded in the lacquer. In the subsequent polishing process, the entire lacquerware is polished with abrasives of different particle sizes. In addition, in the middle of each polishing process, a process called  is inserted, in which a series of processes of rubbing lacquer onto lacquerware and drying it are repeated. Glossy  is completed through these complicated processes. Although this technique is the simplest in , it was developed in the latter half of the Heian period after  and completed in the Kamakura period because it was necessary to make the particles of metal powder finer. This technique was popular in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when mass production of  was necessary.

 and  have the same process up to the  where they apply lacquer to protect the metal powder. However, the subsequent processes are different, and  uses a process called  in which the entire lacquerware including pictures and patterns is coated with black lacquer. After drying, it is polished until the surface of the metal powder is exposed. After that, it is the same as  in that it is polished with abrasives of different particle sizes, and lacquer is rubbed and dried, but the procedure of each process is different. Since the entire surface including the pattern is coated with lacquer and then polished, the surface of the pattern and the background becomes smooth and metal powder is harder to fall off than . It was a technique developed and completed in the Heian period, and this technique was the mainstream of  until the late Heian period when the refining technique of gold and silver powder was undeveloped and the particles were rough. Because a sword scabbard in the Nara period kept at Shōsōin uses a technique called  similar to this technique, it is sometimes said that Japanese  began during the Nara period.。

A lacquer is mixed with charcoal or mineral particles to make a lacquer with increased viscosity, and a pattern is drawn on the surface to raise the pattern. Then it is dried and the same process as  is done on top of the pattern to complete. The name of the technique is different depending on the kind of particles to be mixed, and the one mixed with charcoal powder is called  and the one mixed with tin powder is . This technique was developed in the middle of the Kamakura period. In the Muromachi period,  was developed by mixing lacquer with powdered whetstone or powdered clay, and it became possible to raise the pattern higher.。

After raising the pattern in the process of taka mak-ie, it is completed through the process of . Unlike , the surface does not become smooth even after polishing because the process of  is completed. It is the most complicated technique among , and was developed in the Muromachi period and was popular in the Edo period.。

Classification by size and shape of metal powder 
The particles of the metal powder are roughly classified into three types of ,  or  and  or  in order of decreasing size. Fine particles  are easy to work with, but the adhesion of the particles is weak, and the color becomes whitish with little gloss and looks dull. Large particles  are difficult to work with but have high durability, and have a strong luster and a flashy appearance due to irregular reflection of particles.

Gallery

Maque
The Mexican word  derives from the Japanese word. It is used for "Mexican lacquerware". Japanese lacquerware arrived to Mexico through the Manila galleons during the Namban period. Mexican artisans fused pre-Hispanic, European and Asian influences in their work.

References

 Lacquerware stories/maki-e

External links
 
 Maki-e at Britannica

Artistic techniques
Decorative arts
Japanese art terminology
Japanese lacquerware
Painting techniques