All of Jiro Sakai's work are made using [KANSHITSU]-dry lacquer technique.
The Kanshitsu technique came from China with Buddhism 1400 years ago. It is a very time-consuming process involving a tree and clay sculptured base, applied with many layers of linen fabric, hardened with paste of [URUSHI]-Japanese lacquer.
This technique requires considerable time and labor to incorporate large quantities of a very expensive Urushi (the second most expensive material after gold). These impracticalities lead to a different technique of Buddha statue making, which changed to wood carving in the Heian period in 784.
Kanshistu statues are currently rare in the world and are not found in China or other areas in South-East Asia. There are only a few left in Japan, such as "Shorin temple, Eleven-faced Goddess of Mercy statue ", "Toshodai temple, Kannon-with-One-Thousand-Arms Statue" and "Toshodai temple, Yakushi Nyorai statue", most of which are national treasures.
Jiro Sakai revived the Kanshitsu technique of these ancient Japanese times, and made the "Maneki neko", a famous Japanese good-luck cat which are seen everywhere in Japan inviting customers and wealth with its raised forelimb. The surface of the cat is applied with Urushi and gold powder by the Makie technique, then pressed and finished with Kinpaku-gold leaf. Since ancient times Urushi is said to have the power of purging evil spirits.
Jiro Sakai uses Kinpaku and Makie to symbolize eternity and good fortune in his strongest art work - the maneki neko.