transparency (artistic); watermark-like picture
A picture or design made visible by holding it up to light, or a watermark-like image embedded in paper. Often used in traditional Japanese paper crafts.
この和紙には透かし絵が入っている。
This Japanese paper has a watermark-like picture in it.
光に透かすと透かし絵が浮かび上がる。
When held up to the light, the transparency picture appears.
Compound of 透かし (transparency, watermark) and 絵 (picture). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term describes a picture made using the watermark technique.