Taka Maki-e 高蒔繪

Maki-e is a technique where designs and painted with urushi and metal powders are sprinkled to create the artwork. Different styles of maki-e exist, such as Hira (flat) Maki-e, Togidashi (burnished) Maki-e, and Taka (raised) Maki-e. These different techniques are commonly used together to create highly detailed and intricate designs which sets this apart from other urushi methods.

Taka Maki-e is characterised by it’s raised appearance. This is achieved through different methods such as multiple layers of urushi or using charcoal or metal powders to increase the height of the design. This method is much more time consuming than Hira Maki-e as it involves several layers of urushi and sanding to create a smooth surface for sprinkling of the final layer of metal powders.

Complex shapes take longer to complete as all the edges and sides of the raised design needs to be sanded to ensure a smooth and seamless surface.

This technique works best when applied on a base of urushi, however it may be possible to do on certain plastics like acrylic or other surfaces which urushi can adhere to.