Editing Meiji era (section)

=== Lacquerware ===
[[File:Khalili_Collection_Japanese_Meijji_waves_panel.jpg|thumb|"Waves" [[maki-e]] panel by [[Shibata Zeshin]], 1888–1890]]
Gold- or silver-decorated lacquerwares had been popular in the Edo period but fell out of favor in the early nineteenth-century due to economic hardship.{{sfn|Earle|1999|pp=186–187}} The Meiji era saw a renewed interest in lacquer as artists developed new designs and experimented with new textures and finishes. Foremost among these was [[Shibata Zeshin]],{{sfn|Earle|1999|pp=186–187}} who has been called "Japan's greatest lacquerer".<ref>Earle, Joe, "Zeshin Redux", ''Orientations'', Vol. 29, No. 2, March, 2008, p. 136</ref> The appeal of his highly original style was in the choice of motifs and subject matter rather than embedded gold and silver. He placed lacquer panels in frames, imitating Western oil paintings.{{sfn|Earle|1999|p=187}} Other notable lacquer artists of the 19th century include Nakayama Komin and Shirayama Shosai, both of whom, in contrast with Zeshin, maintained a classical style that owed a lot to Japanese and Chinese landscape art.{{sfn|Earle|1999|pp=187–188}} ''[[Maki-e]]'', decorating the lacquer in gold or silver dust, was the most common technique for quality lacquerware in this period.{{sfn|Earle|1999|p=185}} Lacquer from Japanese workshops was recognized as technically superior to what could be produced anywhere else in the world.{{sfn|Earle|1999|p=187}}