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| Namiki
Emperor Treasure | |||
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| The Emperor series Treasure is produced
in the Hiratsuka Japan Maki-e workshops. This pen, like others in this series
is crafted in a process that takes months to complete. (We saw one of these pens
in May, and the second one came in October.) Using urushi lacquers applied in
many layers with gold, pure pigments and other materials the design in-the-round
is artfully and skillfully developed. A large pen at 6 13/16" capped, the
barrel diameter is 11/16" where the cap diameter is 13/16". | |||
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| The generous two-tone nib,
about the size of the Parker Black Giant from the 1920's or the Waterman's #20
from that same period, is mounted on an ebonite (hard rubber) feed. The nib on
this pen is the same as those on other Emperor pens. | |||
 | Urushi:
a sap from the lacquer tree, used as a base for the application of powdered gold,
silver and pigments into which these materials stick. | ||
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Raden: pieces of abalone are placed into this gummy material
before it hardens, refracting light as no other natural material can do. This
adds variety and interest to the composition. | |||
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| The white
and bronze fold-out hard paper outer box surrounds a soft wood case with a burgundy
red velvet in which the contents nestle. An eyedropper used to fill this large-capacity
writing instrument is found alongside the pen as well as a bottle of Namiki black
ink. Everything about this pen is well thought-out and complete. "What
a fantastic pen. What irony: After looking at it I initially thought that the
wisest choice would be to forgo other pens and save just for this one. Then I
realized that only by collecting maki-e pens for many years can one come to truly
appreciate the beauty of this pen. This pen is truly remarkable. It is like looking
at a starry night. Each speck of gold is like a star with its own color and depth
and place in a vast universe. Each brush stroke is not really a single stroke
but a series on individual applications of the brush. Just when you see one detail,
you see another within the first. The size of the Emperor provides a canvas on
which the artist can express the most subtle nuances of color, position, texture,
and light. I am quite certain that I shall never fullly know this pen. I have
the highest respect for those who in creating it can give substance to their perception.
Those who appreciate fine maki-e work will be enraptured by such a work of artistry.
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| The Retail Price is $7500.00 Our
Price: $6000.00 | |||
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