Adorned in Gold: Japanese Lacquer

Gold powder falls gently onto wet lacquer, shimmering. There, it transforms into plants, birds, and even scenes from stories. This Japanese art form is called maki-e (literally, “sprinkled picture”). Artists have used this method since the tenth century to turn everyday objects into luxuries.​​

Adorned in Gold explores how maki-e intertwined with Japanese fashion, literature, and identity during the Edo period (1603–1868). 

Behold dazzling designs on hairpins, combs, decorative boxes, and even a litter used to carry a princess. Meanwhile, discover the complex techniques artists used to make different shapes, textures, and finishes.

This exhibition draws from the collection of the late philanthropist Jacqueline Avant. An icon of the African American community, she personally identified with maki-e’s gold on black aesthetic. Her lifelong passion for Japanese lacquerware shows how art can bridge time and culture.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website

Image credit:   Document Box (Ryoshibako) with Cranes and Landscape (detail); Japan, 18th to 19th century; lacquer and gold on wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Gift of the Jacqueline Avant Estate, S2024.3.22​​​​