Vintage Japanese souvenir plate featuring Orlando, Florida, landmarks, detailed with etched copper/silver designs and trimmed in 24-karat gold.

The Ancient Art of Chokin.

Above we have a vintage Japanese souvenir plate featuring Orlando, Florida, landmarks, detailed with etched copper/silver designs and trimmed in 24-karat gold.

Chokin is a traditional Japanese metal engraving art form where intricate designs are etched into copper or other metals and then gilded with layers of gold and silver.

The art form dates back more than 900 years to 12th-century Japan. It was originally created by master craftsmen to decorate the armor, helmets, and swords (specifically the tsuba, or sword guard) of elite Samurai warriors. It was also heavily used to decorate sacred buildings and ceremonial objects. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the technique evolved to decorate lifestyle items like smoking pipes, pocket watch covers, and small sculptures.