Maki-e (sprinkled picture) Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold or silver powder as a decoration using a makizutsu or a kebo brush. The oldest maki-e in existence now is the ornamentation on the sheath of the Kara-tachi sword with gilded silver fittings and inlay in togidashi-technique held by Shosoin in Nara, Japan. Originally the sword was treasured by the Emperor Shomu (701-756).The technique was developed mainly in the Heian period (794-1185) and blossomed in the Edo period (1603-1868). Maki-e objects were initially designed as household items for court nobles; they soon gained more popularity and were adopted by royal families and military leaders as a symbol of power. To create different colours and textures, maki-e artists use a variety of metal powders including gold, silver, copper, brass, lead, aluminium, platinum, and pewter, as well as their alloys. Bamboo tubes and soft brushes of various sizes are used for laying powders and drawing fine lines. As it requires highly skilled craftsmanship to produce a maki-e painting, young artists usually go through many years of training to develop the skills and to ultimately become maki-e masters. Koi and Waterfall Originally representing perseverance, the carp is also famous for its courage and determination. A symbol of success and good fortune. Many Chinese and Japanese legends praise its ability to swim upstream to negotiate rivers and waterfalls, despite currents that often are very strong. Even though carp usually live in calm waters in Japan, they are often represented as moving, bursting powerfully from the water.