Manu Propria Pens - Tame-Oshidashi-Nuri

[Manupropria]

Oshidashi = Scroll Pattern, tame refers to the final transparent lacquer.
Scroll like pattern were applied with urushi lacquer and sprinkled with various metal, lacquer and mother of pearl powders, covered with red respectively black lacquer several times. After grinding flat and polished a number of transparent lacquer was applied and polished to mirror finish. It took 35 days to complete.

Two pairs of red and black "oshidashi-nuri" pens. A customer has ordered these pens for his teen children for Christmas. The gift will contain each a pen and ink, personalized letter paper, name cards and envelopes. A very cultivated family I would say. Better than tze latest tablet and by the way not much more

Cheers,

Martin
36128361293613036131

[penwash]

Subtle and Beautiful. I love it.

[amk]

Those are gorgeous ... but it ain't Christmas without chocolate! ... well actually, put one of those in my stocking and I could just about cope with a choc-free day.

35 days lacquering? goodness, that's a lot longer than five days - my record for shellacking a veneer box, and I found that frustrating enough. (Shellacking is a job at which I'm getting better... but from a very bad start.) A lot of posts about Japanese urushi pens have me wondering at the beauty of the pens... but yours really make me appreciate just how much work goes into them.

[picautomaton]

WoW!!! yet more beautiful creations. You should be more famous Manu :), your pens are outstanding

[Manupropria]

Thank you very much.
35 days = 35 layers of lacquers roughly. It takes 24 hours minimum for having one layer of aproximately 0.05 mm hardened in a special box called "urushi-muro" in which an average temperature of 25°C and humidity of 75% must be kept. And working with urushi is 5% lacquering but 95% grinding and polishing. Shellack is also a quite tricky matrial. Well it takes time to become known. In the last few years it has become even more difficult to market because magazines, newspapers and forums are not suppporting new artisans and brands anymore

[Marsilius]

May I just come and sit in your workshop and stare while you work on these?

[dapprman]

Oh so want those and so do not want to know how much they cost your customer, I'm not even going to joke about black friday sales.

[Manupropria]

Everybody is invited to visit my atelier and it would be my pleasure to show you around.
The official retail prices are USD/CHF/€ 1'500.-, the direct sales prices are different