chinkin 沈金

Also called chinkinbori 沈金彫. A technique developed in aizunuri 会津塗 that involves cutting a design into a lacquered surface, applying a thin layer of lacquer into the incised lines, then applying gold foil, gold dust, or colored dust over the soft lacquer to form a contrast with the ground. When the lacquer dries, the gold is cemented into the incised design. Introduced from China to Japan in the Muromachi period; Wajima lacquerware, wajima chinkin 輪島沈金 was further developed in the later Edo period.