Decortype › Lacquerware › Carved, Gilded & Inlaid Lacquer

Maki-e lacquer

Japan tradition · 5 examples · indicative market tier: $50k–1M (high collector)

Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from tree sap and wax and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be called "true lacquer", are objects coated with the treated, dyed and dried sap of Toxicodendron vernicifluum or related trees, applied in several coats to a base that is usually wood. Wikipedia →

Types & examples

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (lid)
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (lid), 1400s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Reading Stand with Chrysanthemums and Autumn Grasses
Reading Stand with Chrysanthemums and Autumn Grasses, early 1600s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo, 1400s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (base)
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (base), 1400s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Writing Table with Pine, Bamboo, and Plum
Writing Table with Pine, Bamboo, and Plum, 1400s
Cleveland Museum of Art

Where to buy

1stDibsHigh-end antiques & design marketplaceBrowse listings → LiveAuctioneersAggregated live auctions worldwideBrowse listings → InvaluableAuction-house listings & price archiveBrowse listings → Christie'sMajor-auction results & upcoming salesBrowse listings → EtsyLiving artisans & vintage dealersBrowse listings → eBayBroad secondary market — vet sellers carefullyBrowse listings →

Each link opens a live, image-rich search for this craft on that marketplace. Listings rotate constantly; authenticate significant pieces independently — attribution quality varies widely outside museum collections.