A decorative metal-sheet inlay used in lacquered woodwork and leather. Fine sheets of gold, silver or tin are cut out and placed on a lacquered surface, which is then covered
with another coat of lacquer. Finally, the lacquer is peeled away from cut out areas. The cut-outs themselves are usually further embellished with finely incised designs. Heidatsu differs slightly from the hyōmon technique, in which the lacquered surface of the metal inlay is polished off with charcoal, leaving an evenly imbedded decorative element.