KAWARI-NURI > NASHIJI-NURI

Nashiji-nuri Variation: Nashiji-nuri use fine size gold powders to sprinkle on base already painted with Urushi in black or other colors and burnished. And the surface is covered with clear Urushi and it is burnished until the coating just thick enough to keep the powders underneath and shiny. The look is like the skin of pear (Nashi) and that's why they call it Nashiji-nuri. But the craftsmen always like to do something new and different. So they use flattened gold powders called Hirame which is larger then Nashiji powders sprinkle on the surface as Nashiji does, but the coatings will be burnished until the Hirame shows up from the beneath. The Hirame will look even shinier than Nashiji and since the powders are larger than Nashiji, the effect will be more visible.

Then, the craftsmen like to try something else more between these different powders and techniques and some other materials such as abalone shells or eggshells, different types of Urushi,etc. that they will have almost unlimited ideas for these free style pattern works.
And they call all of them "Kawari-nuri". So, they say that so far there are at least 10,000 different Kawari-nuri since 400 years ago.

On Mikado Eye Dropper Pens

On Takumi Cartridge/Converter Pens