One of Douglas’ recent finds is this rare antique Lacquered Maki-e Koto, violin size (24″ x 5″x 2.75″) from the Meiji Era 19th C Japan. Typically much larger, and plucked with a pick, they create a beautiful sound. The Maki-e treatment is a special lacquer technique, sprinkled with gold or silver powder as a decoration, using a brush. As it requires highly skilled craftmanship to produce a maki-e painting, young artists usually go through many years of training to develop the skills and ultimately become maki-e masters.