Hikoju Maki-e
by Kenta Takeshige
What do you see in these photos? A delicious-looking Taiyaki sweets, an expensive vase, an antique incense burner, a worn-out monkey wrench, a beetle incense holder, a sharp chisel, a Damascus steel knife, and bonsai scissors...
However, these are all imitations made of Urushi. These are a number of works produced by "Hikoju Maki-e", a Wajima-based group of craftsmen led by Mr. Wakamiya Takashi.
Because we mistake them for the real things and judge them based on its texture, we are surprised at the gap between the actual weight. The monkey wrench is movable, the male beetle has feelings for female beetle, and chisel/knife can be disassembled. Although they are all lacquered, even the functions of the real things have been reproduced.
