Authentic Gold Makie; gorgeous art and crafts peculiar to Japan.
Beauty of Gold Makie

The makie is a crafting technique from old days in Japan for more than a thousand and several hundreds years ago.
Use a urushi lacquer as an adhesive and sprinkle pure gold powders, pure gold leaves, silver powders complete it as a picture on a various adornment, therefore, called maki-e(sprinkled-picture).The makie was refined over time and became the gorgeous art, craft peculiar to Japan.
To make the highest grade makie, heap up the picture pattern with the urushi lacquer or the charcoal powders and draw the picture pattern again with the urushi lacquer as an adhesive and sprinkle gold powders on top and draw with the urushi lacquer more, then polish up the picture pattern. By repeating such a process many times, the makie has the picture pattern with the gorgeous delicate three-dimensional impression. The contrast between the warm moist skin touch of the urushi lacquer and the cold feeling of gold and silver creates a marvelous harmony of the makie. 
The makie art works on our store were created by traditional craftsman Sanao Matsuda.          About his Biography...
 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. 

Makie Incense Case with Boat Bridges
Now Only  
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The design derives from “Boat Bridges” created by  Koetsu Honami (1558-1637) who established the Japanese artistic approach so called “Rimpa”. This is a miniature of “Boat Brides” and good size for incense case.
It is very hard to find this type of design even in Japan.

The body of the box is made by layered clothes with urishi lacquer in order to produce this round shape case design. The surface of the case is covered with thick gold powders.. The waves are depicted by thick gold powders and the rocks in the river are shaped with lead.
The cursive characters created from strips of silver makes this design more elegant. 

Length 8.2cm, Width 7.5cm, Height 3.2cm.       Art works of Sanao Matsuda 
Material: Layered clothes with Urushi lacquer box, gold powders, urushi lacquer, silver scripts and Lead rock.

Jikiro Food Case with Pine Needles and Cones
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The uniqueness of the case design is a use of dried urushi lacquer powder (kanshitsu) that has characteristics of quiet gleaming black luster and anti-scratching surface. Jikiro food case is used in Japanese tea ceremony for storing and serving Japanese cakes.

The surface of the case is covered with the dried urushi lacquer powders coated by the urushi lacquer instead of the gold powders are sprinkled over the gold Makie. On the top of the box, the pine needles and the pine cones are drawn with the gold makie. The case has no dazzling gold like gold makie but has quiet gleaming black luster with simple gold pine needles and cones.

Diameter 20.0cm,  Height 12.0cm.                    Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, dried urushi lacqure powders, urushi lacquer, gold powders. 

Makie Caligraphy Case with Boat Bridge
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This design is famous as makie art works of Koetsu Honami (1558-1637) recognized as a national treasure of Japan.  The craftmanship of Sanao Matsuda forced him to challenge to the exceeded quality level of national treasure by creating this gorgeous makie caligraphy case.  

The surface of the case is covered with thick gold powders. Small boats are lined up in the waves, crossed by a bridge. The cursive characters created from strips of silver makes this design more elegant. The scripts quote a poem by Hitoshi Minamoto from the tenth-century anthology that read; On east road, crossing the boat-bridge of Sano, crossing my mind, thoughts that no one knows. In this design, no scripts for "boat-bridge" were on the case but pictures were there.  Inside, a water dropper and an ink stone are inset at the left, in a right space is for a small knife and a brush rest.

Amazingly the body of box is made by layered clothes with urishi lacquer in order to produce this round shape case design.  It took a year and half to create just for smooth solid urishi lacquer coated body of box and another a year half to draw makie picture on the box.

If you were interested with the information on original design of art works recognized as national treasure of Japan, please see a following site.   Link to Tokyo National Museum

Length 17.6cm, Width 16.4cm, Height 8.6cm.                     Art works of Sanao Matsuda 
Material: Layered clothes with Urushi lacquer box, gold powders, urushi lacquer, silver scripts and Lead bridge.

Makie Caligraphy Case with Chrysanthemum Fence
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This design of chrysanthemum and fence is from a view of Japanese gargen and famous in traditinal Japanese clothes (kimono) and porcelain. Crysanthemum is used as a medicine from old days and loved as a prayer for an anti ageing and a good health.  

The surface of the case is densely covered with gold powders, and the top of the case is decorated with chrysanthemums and a fence crossed over a garden. The blossoms, leaves, stems, birds, fence, and rocks are all shaped with the mother of pearls.  Inside of the box, the blossoms, leaves, stems, birds and fence are delicately drawn by the gold makie, and an inks tone and a water dropper are inset at the center, in the right and the left small inner boxes are for a brush rest and a small knife rest. The bottom of the small inner boxes, the chrysanthemum and fence are very delicately drawn by the gold makie into the tiny space as you can see.

Length 16.7cm,  Width 15.4cm, Height 4.3cm.   Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders, mother of pearls. 

Makie Caligraphy Case with Eight Bridges
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This is a challenging art works to a national treasure of Japan.  This design is originally created by Korin Ogata (1658-1716), who carried on the artistic approach of Koetsu Honami (1558-1637). The Korin’s art works is recognized as the national treasure of Japan.

The design is derived from a scene in "Eight Bridges," the tales of Ise ( Ise monogatari).
The surface of the case is covered with the urushi lacquer, and the top and sides of the body are decorated with irises and crossed by the bridges. The iris blossoms are shaped with the mother of pearls, leaves and stems are drawn by the gold makie. The upper tier of this box is a space for an ink stone and a water dropper. The lower tier is a space for holding papers.

Inside the upper tier and the lower tier box, the patterns of waves are delicately drawn by the gold makie. Inside the upper tier and lower tier box, the patterns of waves are drawn by the gold makie.
If you were interested with the original design of the art works recognized as the national treasure of Japan, please see a following site.  Link to Tokyo National Museum

Length 19.5cm,  Width 14.0cm, Height 11.0cm.                    Art works of Sanao Matsuda
Material: Wooden Box, mother of pearl, urushi lacquer, gold powders with Urushi lacquer and Lead bridges.

Makie Incense Case with Bottle Gourd
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This design of the bottle gourd (Yougao) is famous in traditional Japanese arts. Yougao also reminds us of a heroin in the tales of Genji (Genji monogatari) a thousand years ago written by Shikibu Murasaki, who Genji loved, but was killed by an evil spirit. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.

The surface of the case is covered with thick gold powders, and the top of the case, the bottle gourds are drawn with the makie. The blossoms, are shaped with the mother of pearls.  Inside of the box, the gold powders are sprinkled over the black urushi lacquer, and the bottle qourds are drawn with the gold makie. The joint part of upper and the lower box is gracefully finished up with the silver plate. A fragrance bag is hold inside the box.

Length 8.8cm,  Width 5.5cm, Height 3.8cm.       Art works of Sanao Matsuda
Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders, mother of pearls, silver plate. 

Makie Incense Case with Chrysanthemum Fence
!

This design of chrysanthemum and fence is from a view of Japanese gargen and famous in traditinal Japanese clothes (kimono) and porcelain. Crysanthemum is used as a medicine from old days and loved as a prayer for an anti ageing and a good health. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.   

This design of chrysanthemum and fence is from a view of Japanese gargen and famous in traditional Japanese clothes (kimono) and porcelain. Chrysanthemum is used as a medicine from old days and loved as a prayer for an anti ageing and a good health. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.

Length 8.4cm,  Width 7.3cm, Height 2.8cm.       Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders, mother of pearls, silver plate. 

Makie Incense Case with Eight Bridges
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This design is originally created by Korin Ogata (1658-1716), who carried on the artistic approach of Koetsu Honami (1558-1637). The Korin’s art works is recognized as the national treasure of Japan. This incense case has same but smaller design. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.   

The design is derived from a scene in "Eight Bridges," the tales of Ise ( Ise monogatari).
The surface of the case is covered with the urushi lacquer, and the top and sides of the body are decorated with irises and crossed by the bridges. The iris blossoms are shaped with the mother of pearls, leaves and stems are drawn with the gold makie.

Inside the upper tier and the lower tier box, a frragrance bag is hold, and the patterns of waves are delicately drawn with the gold makie.

Length 8.5cm,  Width 6.2cm, Height 4.6cm.       Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden Box, mother of pearl, urushi lacquer, gold powders, and Lead bridges. 

Makie Incense Case with Fan Face
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The shape of the box is come from a fan. Very delicate crafting skill is required for shaping the box. The highest class skill and expertise are also required for drawing makie art on the curved surface. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.  

The surface of the case is covered with the black urushi lacquer and decorated with the gold makie. The pine trees are drawn with the gold makie on the top of the case.  On the right side of the case,  the fan with bamboos is  drawn with the gold makie. 
On the left side of the box, the Japanese apricot is represented  with the gold makie over the red fan that is drawn with the red urushi lacquer.　On the front side of the box, the fan with chrysanthemums are drawn with the gold makie. It is known that the pine tree, bamboo, apricot, and chrysanthemum all bring us a good luck and a happiness.

Length 7.5cm,  Width 5.5cm, Height 7.5cm.                       Art works of Sanao Matsuda
Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders. 

Makie Incense Case with Kasuga Taisha
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Kasuga Taisha is the most celebrated shrine in Nara.  This design derives from a story of the shrine.  The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.   

The surface of the case is decorated with silver patterns and silver guardian dods with the gold makie and the red urushi lacquer. The joint part of the upper top box and the lower of the box are gracefully finished up with the silver plate. A fragrance bag is hold inside the box.  You can use the gorgeous incense case to hold anything that you want to keep.

Diameter 8.0cm,  Height 3.3cm.                         Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders, silver plate.

Makie Natsume Box with Autumn Grasses
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The surface of the makie natsume box is beautifully decorated with flowers and grasses in autumn. Some of the flowers are shaped with the blue green mother of pearls that is very rare. Natsume box is mainly used for a green tea caddy in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.  

 The surface of the box is covered with the black urushi lacquer and decorated with the gold makie and the mother of pearls.  The blossoms are shaped with the mother of pearles and have deffrent color taste.  The grasses, leaves, stems are  drawn by the gold makie.  Inside of the box is all covered with silver makie. You can use the gorgeous natsume box  to hold tea or anything that you want to keep.  

Diameter 7.3cm,  Height 7.5cm.                        Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders, silver powders.

Makie Natsume Box with Sumiyoshi Shrine
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This design of the makie natsume box is a scene from Sumiyoshi shrine.  Natsume box is mainly used for a green tea caddy in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.  

The surface of the box is densely covered with the gold makie including the inner surface of the box.  Pine trees,  bridge, roof of a shrine, gateway to the shrine are drawn with the gold makie with three dementional impression. The river flows down to a sea is drawn with the gold makie over the black urushi lacquer.  Inside of the box is all covered with the dazzling gold. This type of natsume box is called flat natsume in Japan because of the wider body against the height. You can use this gorgeous natsume box  to hold a tea or anything that you want to keep.

Diameter 8.5cm,  Height 6.3cm.                         Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders. 

Makie Natsume Box with the First Song of Bush Warbler (Hatsune)
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This design is derived from a scene in "the First Song of Bird (Hatsune)," the tales of Genji (Genji monogatari) a thousand years ago written by Shikibu Murasaki. Natsume box is mainly used for a green tea caddy in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.  

The poem of the scene read ; The first day of New Year, with a serene sky, a delivered basket with beautiful dishes and a sitting paper bush warbler on a good shape of branch with an attached letter, saying waiting for the first song of bush warbler, happy couple now thinking about her mother away from.  The first song of the bush warbler give us a feeling of fortune, happiness and hopes for starting. Small palace, apricots, pine trees, bush warbler were drawn with the beautiful gold makie. The size of gold powder with the urushi lacquer gives makie the different taste of colors. The blinds in the palace are drawn with the red urushi lacquer over the gold makie and polished up.  Inside of the box is all covered with the glittering gold. You can use the gorgeous natsume box  to hold tea or anything that you want to keep. 

Diameter 7.3cm,  Height 7.5cm.                                             Art works of Sanao Matsuda 

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders.

Makie Triple Tiered Incense Case with Butterfly
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This design has triple tiered boxes with beautiful butterflies on every surface. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box. 

 The surface of the box is smoothly covered with the black urushi lacquer and decorated with beautiful butterflies drawn with the gold makie and the mother of pearls.  The butterfly on the top is shaped with the mother of pearls.  The butterflies on the side of the box are drawn delicately with the gold makie.  The corners of the box are covered with thick gold powders.  The design of the makie Incense case is simple but has extremely gorgeous feeling. You can use the gorgeous Incense case to hold a fragrance bag or anything that you want to keep. 
Length 6.5cm,  Width 5.8cm, Height 8.3cm.       Art works of Sanao Matsuda

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders, mother of pearls. 

Makie Triple Tiered Incense Case with Landscape
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This design has triple tiered boxes with the beautiful Japanese landscape on every surface. The incense case is used in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box. 

The beautiful landscape is drawn over the smooth surface of the box covered with thick black urushi lacquer.  The old thatched-roof house, pine trees, mountains are all drawn with the gold makie.  Inside the box, the surface is painted with the black urushi lacquer and has a smooth warm touch. You can use the gorgeous incense box to hold a fragrance bag or anything that you want to keep. 

Length 6.3cm,  Width 6.0cm, Height 8.8cm.       Art works of Sanao Matsuda 

Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer, gold powders.

Makie Water Vessel with Pumpas Grass Fields
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Makie water vessel (mizu-sashi) is used in Japanese tea ceremony for filling water to a kettle and for washing tea bowls. The uniqueness of the Makie is that the Japanese pampas grasses are used for outer side of vessel. You can use this for various porpose such as flower arrangement.  

The vessel and the lid are all painted with urushi lacquer and have a solid warm touch.
The vessel is shaped with the layered thin clothes with the urushi lacquer first, and is covered with the half split stems of pampas grass, and layered with the thin cloth with the urushi lacquer again, then painted with the urushi lacquer many times. The outer side of vessel is painted with the white urushi lacquer and the black urushi lacquer on top of it. By polishing up the side of the vessel, the white urushi lacquer naturally appeared on the gnarl portion of the pampas glass and becomes the unique white pattern on the vessel. The reverse side of the lid has a picture of a kingfisher just flew over a river.  The kingfisher and the waves of river are all drawn with the gold makie.  By changing the size of gold powders, the wave color and bird color have different color taste. The top of lid is covered with the smooth black urushi lacquer.

Diameter 18.0cm,  Height 18.0cm.                                        Art works of Sanao Matsuda
Material: Layered clothes with urushi lacquer, pampas grass, urushi lacquer, gold powders. 

Natsume Box with Nandina
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This a very special natsume box made by a thick trunk of nandina aged several hundreds years. It is very hard to find an aged nandina today. Natsume box is mainly used for a green tea caddy in Japanese tea ceremony and can be used for any purpose such as an accessory box.

This natume box  is hollowed out of a very old nandina. The tea ceremony house in a garden of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion Temple) located in Kyoto has a column of nandina, and is open to visitors. The column of nandina has almost same thickness of this natsume box. The age of the nandina in the tea ceremony house is called over seven hundreds.  The nandina grows very slow but has long life. Nadina sounds like "drive out trouble" in Japanese and is known as a lucky tree. The surface of the box has a natural bark of the nadina with the clear urushi lacquer. The top and the bottom of the box have beautiful annual rings with the urushi lacquer coated. Inside the top of box, a nadina with snow is drawn delicately.  You can use this vary rare natsume box  to hold a tea or anything that you want to keep. 

Diameter 7.7cm,  Height 7.8cm.                                             Art works of Sanao Matsuda
Material: Wooden box, urushi lacquer.