Not only People Love Maki-e

Urushi Lacquer work is lovely and has been enjoyed by people for hundreds of years, but long before people started using the material to decorate fountain pens and other items, a species of Japanese wasp was already using urushi lacquer.

The Japanese Paper Wasp gathers Urushi sap from the urushi trees and applies the lacquer to the base of their nests. As the Lacquer hardens it creates a wonderful water-proof base, strong enough to withstand Typhoon force winds.