is the

Japanese art Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ''ukiyo-e'' paintings and woodblock prints, ceramics, origami, and more recently manga and anime. It ...

technique and

Japanese craft Traditional in Japan have a long tradition and history. Included in the category of traditional crafts are handicrafts produced by an individual or a group, as well as work produced by independent studio artists working with traditional craft m ...

of engraving dyed ivory. Bachiru originated in Tang dynasty

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, and was introduced to Japan in the 8th century C.E. The ivory pieces to be decorated are first stained with pigment (usually red, green or blue). Ivory does not take colour easily and has to be put through a process of repeated boiling and soaking in dye in order to achieve the appropriate hue. Images are incised on the coloured ivory using a technique known as ''keri-bori'' ("kick engraving"). The stained surface is scraped away to reveal the ivory underneath. Additional detail is then sometimes added in another colour, using a fine paintbrush. The art of ''bachiru'' was largely lost until its rediscovery in the 20th century by Yoshida Fumiyuki (1915-2004). Yoshida was recognised as a Living National Treasure for his work with this art medium.

References

{{Reflist Japanese crafts Japanese art terminology Ivory Engraving