The Hikiyama Exhibition Hall displays the huge lacquered floats used in Karatsu Kunchi, the city's famous November festival. Dragons, helmets, sea bream, and other forms sit indoors for the rest of the year, close enough to inspect the craft.
If you cannot visit during the festival, this is the next best way to understand why Karatsu gets so excited about it. The floats are theatrical even when standing still.