Namiki Nippon Maki-e Crane Fountain Pen

castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 castle98 The fountain pens in the Nippon Art collection by Namiki benefit from the remarkable technical know-how of one of the last manufactures on the globe that masters all of the phases intervening in the making of its products, from nibs to converters. It combines Hira-maki-e, the simplest maki-e method with modern production technique. For these fountain pens to be accessible to a greater number of amateurs, the motif they bear is stenciled upon a resin base.  This method of hand reproduction minimizes the time required for creating the design, full attention being given to the final aspect of the completed piece, for the decor and ornamental work done along the Maki-e techniques remains identical from one collection to another.Nevertheless, although the method for applying the decor differs, the lacquer is applied after the same rules.  It is laid in thin coats, one after another, left to dry and minutely sanded down with charcoal made from the wood of the camellia or the cherry tree, then polished in the bare hand until the surface slips like satin between one's fingers."Lacquer black" is the darkest hue that can be, which Urushi spontaneously acquires under the effect of iron particles, as it assumes its red hue under the action of ferrous oxyde.  For many years, the art of lacquer work was limited to those two colours, enriched by a few dull overtones of yellow, green and brown derived from natural tinctures.All of the Namiki fountain pens, whichever collection they belong to, perpetuate the time-honoured tradition of Nipponese handicrafts that makes of each and every fountain pen a unique art piece, the living testimony of a know-how revered and transmitted from one century to the next.Total length (cap closed) : 133 mm (5.2")Total length with cap posted behind the barrel : 145 mm (5.7") Barrel diameter: 11 mm (0.4")