Ever heard of Maki-e before? Yeah, didn’t think so. Most people haven’t, and I think that’s a real shame, because in my opinion it’s one of the most beautiful forms of art in existence. This post is dedicated to bringing some awareness to the art.

I’ll introduce Maki-e by way of a personal story. First though, you should know that I like fine pens (hey, everybody has their thing, right?) – fountain pens, specifically. There’s just something about what they represent that speaks to me. A fountain pen to me is a symbol of a time when notes were still purely handwritten, each letter and each word carefully-considered before being put down on the page.

I was looking for a new pen to replace one I had accidentally put through the wash, and was browsing various online shops. Eventually, I came across one that offered something called “Maki-e” fountain pens.

“…the heck is this?” I thought to myself, intrigued. I began researching, and here is what I learned.

Overview of Maki-e

Maki-e is a Japanese term that translates to “sprinkled picture.” It’s an appropriate name, because the art is all about sprinkling metallic powders (usually gold or silver) onto various objects to create images. Typically, a small bamboo pipe is used to sprinkle the metal powder onto a surface, but cotton is sometimes used as well.

Before the metal can be sprinked onto a surface though, it needs to be coated with urushi lacquer. Urushi lacquer is made with sap from the Urushi tree, and coating objects with the lacquer creates a surface that will accept metal powders.

With roots dating as far back as the seventh century A.D., Maki-e was used to decorate objects usually kept by nobles and aristocracy. They prized the art for its intricacy, and for the skill and attention-to-detail required to execute it well. Objects were usually jewelry boxes and the like; the first Maki-e fountain pen wasn’t created until 1925.

Maki-e Techniques

There are four main techniques use in the art of Maki-e.

Hira Maki-e

The most simplistic of all Maki-e techniques, Hira Maki-e involves simply sprinkling the metallic powder onto the surface, then painting over it with layers of lacquer. It’s simple and fast, but also a little one-dimensional.

Togidashi Maki-e

Togidashi Maki-e is a slight step up from Hira Maki-e in beauty and complexity. It starts with the same fundamentals, but adds more layers of urushi once the design has been created. These additional layers enhance the durability of the product. Once this is complete, the surface is burnished with charcoal to reveal the details of the underlying design.

Taka Maki-e

Now we’re getting into the really cool stuff! Taka Maki-e refers specifically to the atrt of raising certain elements of the design so that the image becomes somewhat more three-dimensional. Artisans usually accomplish this by adding layer after layer of urushi lacquer to key details within the design. It’s a painstaking process, since the artisan needs to wait until the lacquer has dried out fully in between each layer!

Shishiai Maki-e

This is considered by most to be the most advanced Maki-e technique in existence. It consists of a combination of Togidashi and Taka Maki-e, but is more than the sum of its parts. To burnish on a flat surface is one thing, but to burnish fine details in a uniform and visually-pleasing way after they have been raised up and textured is another thing completely. It takes far more skill, and is usually reserved for those who have been practicing the art for decades.

A Note on “Modern” Maki-e

You can probably tell by the quotes that I’m not a huge fan of pens that use a technique they call “modern” Maki-e. The term is used to describe a process by which an image is screen-printed by a machine onto a pen or other object, and then finished by hand. These pens are usually quite cheap by comparison (they can be had for $300 to $500, whereas real Maki-e pens start around $2,000 CAD).

They’re also NOT Maki-e. Screen printing an image onto an object removes much of the craftsmanship and skill that goes into creating it by hand, and in my opinion it’s offensive to the art. I get it though – real Maki-e pens aren’t cheap, and there are people who want the design without all of the work/waiting/money that comes with it. So be it. Just know what you’re buying if you fall into that category.

Wrapping it Up: A Lost Art?

In all of my research, I seem to hear one statement repeated over and over again: that the next generation is not interested in Maki-e. It is too time-consuming, and not an interesting career.

I think this is a real shame. Maki-e is a beautiful art form that requires an insane amount of skill to pull off well, and it demands what I believe many of us are searching for in a career… it demands flow. Like most arts, it demands complete and full immersion of oneself into the moment, focused completely on the task at hand. I think the closest comparison we have in the west would be watch-making. The level of precision and attention-to-detail required is similar, and it would be a tragedy to lose either of them.

My goal in writing this post is to bring awareness to the art of Maki-e, and I encourage you to go out and research it further. To start with, check out this video from Pelikan. Rarely, if ever, do I link to a company’s website, but this short video does a great job of summing up the art (it’s also beautiful).

Here are some examples of Maki-e on fountain pens, courtesy of Iguanasell:

I hope you’ll consider exploring the art further! For reference, here are the sites I pulled my research from:

http://www.danitrio.com/history/history_1.htm

http://www.danitrio.com/maki-e_metods/maki-e_metods.htm

http://www.danitrio.com/basic/knowledge_5.htm

http://www.pilot-namiki.com/en/technique/

http://www.pilot-namiki.com/en/technique/togidashitakamakie.html