Blue pocket mirror, TOMBO, dragonfly

blue pocket mirror, TOMBO, dragonfly, made in Japan

Maki-e (絵, literally: "strewn painting", or "sprinkled image") is a form of lacquer art practiced in Japan. The lacquered surface is sprinkled with gold or silver powder, using a makizutsu or a kebo brush. The technique was developed mainly in the Heian period (794–1185) and flourished in the Edo period (1603–1868). The maki-e objects were originally designed as interior items for court nobles.