Momoyama period (1568-1615)
Momoyama period. all about Oda Nobunaga’s short regime and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s rise and fall has for only 30 years, this period also influenced a lot to arts including Maki-e by introducing Kodaiji Maki-e. Kodaiji is a mausoleum at Mt. Higashi of Kyoto for Toyotomi Hiyoshi, and Zushi temple for his wife. In this period, Maki-e had a big change from exaggerated Taka Maki-e to simple black and gold Hira Maki-e which was made all over in the temples on every poles and wall. The designs were also changed from sceneries to “Autumn flowers” like designs with flowers and birds. Momoyawa was a war torn age, and Samurai under that circumstance liked to show off something and selected their swords with paintings on its sheath. The simple techniques but look good were generally demanded by the customers. However, just simple Hira Maki-e could not compete with colorful Taka Maki-e, and that eventually the craftsmen created new ideas of designs with E-nashiji using different gold powders sprinkling over the surface and burnishing repeatedly, and the other important idea was “Katamigawari”, two different types of designs separated by a straight line on the object. Such as this simple Kodaiji Maki-e, mainly of Hira Maki-e was born as the result of the deadlock by the exaggerated Taka Maki-e once prevailed in Muromachi period.

Edo period (1615-1868)
In 1549 Japanese got a rare chance to export Maki-e to Europe through missionary work and fascinated all Europeans at that time. The export was booming and there were so many factories working day and night for the demands. Even when Tokugawa Shogunate closed the country in 1639 and only let Dutchmen deal with them on a specified islet, the Maki-e fever was yet stronger than ever. From that time, Maki-e designs seemed to be divided in two general categories, a colorful Maki-e and Raden covering entire pieces called Namban Shikki, while that he Maki-e was not covered entirely but left open spaces here and there without Raden was called Komoh Shikki. All these Maki-e were mostly Hira Maki-e, because it was easy to make for the big demand.

The biggest Maki-e communities during the Edo period were founded in Edo (Tokyo), Kyo (Kyoto) and Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture. Kanazawa was then governed by the Maeda clan, called Kaga Hyakuman-goku (1,000,000 Goku is the size of territory which can produce the equivalent of 150,000 tons of rice a year) clan, and when the fifth feudal lord, Maeda Tsunanori (1643-1724) made a complete set of craft materials and samples called Hyakko-hisho including all kinds of paper, wood, leather dyeing techniques, 30 different of Urushi paintings, and Maki-e methods.

A few major Maki-e artists were hired by feudal lords since Muromachi period such as the first Kohami, Docho was hired by Ashikaga Yoshimasa. And his successors were continued to work for Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Shogunates to Maki-e all furniture, daily uses and decorative items. Furumitsu Family was hired by Tokugawa Iemitsu, and Kajikawa Family were also hired by Togawa well known with their Maki-e on Inro, a pill container. Yamamoto Shunsei was famous for his Togidashi, and Igarashi Family were famous in Kanazawa as the founder of Kaga Maki-e.

In this period, the economy was improved and ordinary people could afford for luxurious goods and liked colorful designs with gold or silver materials. The result was that the techniques were greatly improved with a lot of expensive materials, the designs are lack of freshness and artistic flavor. Then, towards the late years of this period, the material quality they used for Maki-e deteriorated, techniques were for technique’s sake, all Maki-e became mass produce.

Meiji period (1868-1912)
When the Tokugawa Shogunate crumbled in 1867 and the power was surrendered to Emperor Meiji, the Maki-e and other traditional arts instantly lost their strong supports, because the whole country woke up and began to look towards Western culture and technology, and their own traditional arts were totally neglected, and Maki-e artists were consequently laid off by their former employers. Then, luckily, the Meiji Emperor was a very judicious leader and his government established a policy to export traditional handicraft items to Europe by participating in the Expos in London, Paris or Winn. It was very successful and helped the country receive enormous foreign exchange with which Japan dispatched students learned the western technology to create the strong foundation of Modern Japan. Among all Maki-e items, there was the first Maki-e on fountain pen made by Namiki sold to Dunhill, a high end jewelry store in London in 1925.

The Maki-e art was revaluated by the government and established a few organizations to encourage the export of Maki-e and other arts, but they didn’t last long before they were compelled to close down. In 1889, Urushi department was established at Tokyo Art School led by Okakura Tenshin, considered as the father of Japanese modern art, and people were able to learn Urushi/Maki-e without being an apprentice to a master anymore. In the following year, some systems were made to encourage artisans and awarded them with titles and good works were procured by the government. One of the greatest artists taught by Okakura Tenshin was Rokkaku Shisui and he was the master of Matsuda Gonroku later years. In 1900, the government established a laboratory to test and study Urushi in Tokyo in order to improve the quality and knowledge of Urushi for all local related people. The materials for Maki-e, gold or silver different sizes of powders have been greatly improved and that help Maki-e a lot. Urushi refine has been improved, too and it is possible to produce more colors. But the methods of Maki-e are still the same as their ancestors did before still very time consuming and still painting, waiting for dry, burnishing and sprinkling powders again and painting again….. But today’s techniques are same or similar to those used in Edo period and later. Urushi and Maki-e are so time consuming and complicated that the art could not attract any more young people in the new open world.

Taisho period (1912-1926)
Emperor Meiji began to lead the country when he was only 16, and Japan was modernized in 45 years after he won the wars against Russia and China. But the successor, Emperor Taisho was in poor health through his life and left all national policy to his diet. The government was rather democratic but no significant direction was taken for the art until Showa period.