平文(ひょうもん)hyōmon
第71回 正倉院展、2019年
Hyōmon
A lacquer technique with inlayed decorative metal-sheet cutouts. Thin sheets of gold or silver or tin are cut out, incised with line details, and placed on a lacquered surface, which is then covered with another coat of lacquer. Finally, the lacquered surface of the metal inlay is polished off with charcoal, leaving an evenly imbedded decorative element. A similar technique known as heidatsu differs in that the lacquer is peeled away from cut out areas.
71st Annual Exhibition of Shōsō-in Treasures, 2019