What is Maki-e

Around 12 years ago, before the internet became popular, I was introduced to beautiful lacquered “picture pens’ from Japan by a collector in Singapore. I was enthralled by their detailed beauty and craftsmanship. These pens I soon found out were decorated in a technique that dates back a couple of thousand years. That technique called MAKI-E which means “SPRINKLED GOLD”

Many forms of Maki-e exist as a decorative art form on boxes, screens, household equipment and such. During the MEIJI period of the mid 1800’s much of this was made for export and Europe become enamored by it.

In 1918, the Namiki pen company was formed. Ryosuke Namiki was frustrated. He needed to find a way to produce pens that could compete with Parker and Waterman and not get scratched as his pens were. He knew that lacquer had been used by craftsmen for a long time to protect their artwork. He mixed lacquer with black Hard Rubber and this produced a hard shiny surface. He called this Larquernite (lacquered ebonite).

In a short time, with the help of his partner Masao Wada, the found a Master artist Gonoruku Masuda to create beautiful pictures on their pens. This grew to become Pilot pen company of today, as well as Dunhill Namiki sold by Alfred Dunhill of London.

There are many techniques employed in making maki-e pens. They are painstakingly complex. Lacquer, which comes from the Sumac tree and is poisonous, must be processed for 2 hours before it is useable. The art work is done using finger brushes as small as a rat hair. Lacquer must be dried and polished repeatedly. Some techniques used are:

• Hiramakie which is basically a flat picture that is lacquered and polished many times.
• Togidashi is a sprinkled design of various elements as gold or crushed shells, then lacquered and polished. This is still one dimensional.
• Takamaki-e which is three dimensional high relief. Lacquer is mixed with clay or charcoal to give a raised effect.
• Raden is small slices of abalone shell embedded in the lacquer to create an inlay effect.
• Kirkane are large pieces of gold cut in various shapes and placed in wet lacquer.
• Rankaku is made by crushing quail shells and placed one by one in a lacquered surface.