Beautiful, colorful maki-e on Yamanaka lacquerware, a traditional craft of Ishikawa Prefecture. Makie: a unique Japanese art and craft where patterns are applied in lacquer on the surface of a lacquered object. Before the lacquer dries, metallic powders in gold, silver, and other colors are sprinkled and set on the surface of the object. During the Momoyama period (A.D.1573-1615), objects decorated with maki-e made their way to Europe's nobility and royalty via missionaries who had visited Japan. Large volumes of maki-e were exported. It is this colorful maki-e that has been applied to the handles of these brushes by craftsmen using printing techniques. Enjoy your fill of a collaboration between the beauty of the completely clear, black lacquer and the gorgeous maki-e.