There are dozens of other varieties of specific types of lacquer ware, some of which are variations of the techniques already mentioned.
Makie (Sown or Sprinkled Picture)
This technique consists essentially of building up the design by repeated alternating applications of thin coats of lacquer followed by metallic dustings and rubbings. The design is therefore gradually applied in layers by dusting rather than being painted on with lacquer. In this way delicate and graduated shadings and a sense of depth may be obtained even when the final surface is completely flat. Various degrees of relief may be obtained by this method by building up specific areas of the design with lacquer rather than applying the lacquer to the entire surface. As previously mentioned, there is no room for any errors in using this technique, since the dustings cannot be removed from the tacky lacquered surface. The artist must visualize in advance the exact order of his dustings, which will bring out the final desired pictorial effect. The art of makie is typically and basically of Japanese invention, dating back to the Nara period and ultimately brought to magnificent artistic and technical perfection which no country, including China, has ever been able to imitate successfully.
TOGIDASHI (POLISHING OUT)
The term literally means "to bring out by rubbing" (togu=ta rub, dasu=to bring out). The basis lacquer is prepared up to the first coating of ro-urushi. The design is drawn in ink on specially prepared paper and is traced with a rat's-hair brush on the opposite side of the paper with heated moist lacquer. The outlined lacquer design is now rubbed off onto the lacquered surface with a whalebone spatula. The lines are dusted with powdered white whetstone to improve the visibility of the outline, which is then powdered with metallic powders or pulverized colored lacquer before the piece is dried in the damp press. The outlines are now gone over with ro-se-urushi and dried, and the gilding or powdering process is repeated. Finally the entire surface is coated with ro-urushi, covering the entire design with this black lacquer. The surface is now ground down to the underlying gold (or other) design, and the process is repeated. By this method the design is brought out by the grinding down and has a softened effect at the edges, as in pastel work. The surface is now covered with clear lacquer (seshime-urushi) and the product finished as in the previously described honji method, the final effect being an absolutely even, polished surface.
In more modern manufacture the design is drawn directly on the object with white lead. Togidashi is a very old method and was used as early as 724. It is used in combination with raised lacquer for distant effects, including mists, clouds, and mountaintops; for softly sweeping and curving streams; for leaves fading into the distance, and the like. In some cases the nearer leaves are done in raised lacquer and the more distant ones in togidashi. A similar technique, indicating perspective, is used in the metal arts, combining medium and low relief. However, the same effect of perspective can be even more subtly obtained by using various shades and "faintness" of design by employing togidashi alone (Figs. 24, 67, 151). There are several varieties of togidashi:
1) iroe togidashi. This is done in gold, silver, and different-colored lacquers. The families of Shunsho and Shiomi Masanari were especially noted for this technique (Figs. 6, 68, 216).
2) sumie togidashi. Here the design is executed only in black lacquer powder, imitating sumie ink painting. All shades from black to light gray are obtained, simulating the various washes of sumie painting. The background is usually of plain gold or silver. Noted for this technique were Toyo, Hakuho, and Shoryusai (Figs. 20, 22, 209).
3) shishiai togidashi. This technique, combining relief makie and togidashi, was used in the Muromachi period to produce flattened, burnished relief and high relief.
HIRAMAKIE (FLAT SOWN PICTURE)
This is the name given to all gold lacquer which has a flat surface. The design itself is almost level with the background. The outline of the design is transferred to the prepared lacquer basis, as noted in togidashi. The spaces are filled in with shita-maki-urushi on which gold powder is dusted. The object is dried, and a layer of clear lacquer (Yoshino-urushi) is applied. After drying and polishing, details are drawn with a rat's-hair brush (neji-jude), using inside line lacquer (ke-uchi-urushi). After dusting with gold and drying, the cleat lacquer is again applied and dried and polished. Final marking and shading is now done with shading lacquer (jo-hana-urushi). In general, the effect in this flat lacquer is obtained through the repeated subtle graduated dustings. In hiramakie the outlines (and often the details) of the designs and the background motifs are not actually completely flat but are very slightly raised (Fig. 58).
TAKAMAKIE (LACQUER IN RELIEF, RAISED SOWN PICTURE)
This name identifies all raised gold lacquer, including dusting and inlaying of thin metal or mother-of-pearl flakes (including kirigane). Technically the term should be limited to raised lacquer done in makie, as the name implies. The technique originated at the end of the Kamakura period (about 1334) and was fully developed under the Ashikaga shogunate in the 15th century. In general, takamakie is used for near perspective, including figures, rocks, and trees. At times it reaches almost a sculptural quality, which of course also applies to high encrustations. As previously mentioned, "raising lacquer," which contains camphor, is used in order to produce slow and even drying. This prevents drying of the top layers first as well as subsequent cracking of the top layer.
The ground may be black or any colored lacquer, or of a lacquer imitating some other material, or nashiji, or plain wood or metal. The design is transferred from paper, as in all makie. A layer of shita-maki-urushi (undercoating lacquer) is applied to the portions to be raised as a basis for the raising process. Two layers of Yoshino-nobe-urushi are applied to the design:
1) For slight relief, taka-maki-urushi (raising lacquer) is used with fine brushes, dried, ground down, polished, and covered with seshime-urushi. The surface is now ready for gilding.
2) For high relief, the design is built up with several coats of sabi (clay and seshime-urushi) which are applied with the usual drying and grinding process and then coated with Yoshino-nobe-urushi. Then the stages listed above under "slight relief" are gone through before the surface is ready for gilding (Frontispiece).
3) In the gilding processes the kirigane is applied first upon a layer of ro-se-urushi, and then hirame or shell scales are applied separately with a pointed stick (hirame-fude). The parts to be gilded with gold dust are now coated with shita-maki-urushi (undercoating lacquer) and the powders applied with the tsutsu. Repeated dustings are done as necessary. The final details of the design are then done as in hiramakie after the application of shita-maki-urushi—namely, clear lacquer, inside line lacquer, dusting, shading lacquer, and finally finishing lacquer.
MISCELLANEOUS MAKIE TYPES
In addition to the three basic makie types described above, there are a number of variations. These are briefly explained here.
1) maki-abise. In this technique, which was used in the Momoyama period, gold dust was heavily heaped onto the raised design.
2) Higashiyama makie. Lacquer ware made in the late Muromachi period for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435-90).
3) jidai makie. Lacquer products of the Genroku era (1688-1704).
4) jokei-in makie. Lacquer ware of the Genroku era named after an appellation of Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (ruled 1680-1709).
5) joken-in makie. Ornamentation of different regular seedings in gold and silver of different tonalities, often found in picnic boxes (bento-bako) in which each compartment, tray, or sake bottle is decorated with a different geometrical design.
6) Kaga makie. Originated in the mid-17th century by the Igarashi family of lacquer artists, who moved from Kyoto to Kaga Province under the patronage of Lord Maeda Toshitsune.
7) kimetsuhe makie. Makie in relief decorated with patterns in gold or silver flakes. The pieces of cut metal flakes are fixed to the design with starch and therefore stand out in relief. The technique was used during the Momoyama