Looking at five entry level Maki-e fountain pens.

[jar]

I thought it might be fun to look at five examples of entry level Japanese Maki-e fountain pens. Entry level in this case does not mean cheap but rather what I might call reasonably priced. One we have already looked at in the comparison of East-West Maki-e fountain pens, and as I mentioned there, the basis of all of these examples is a design initially placed using silk screening that is then finished by hand.

So here are the five pens.

From Top to Bottom: Platinum Modern Cranes & Mount Fuji; Pilot Nippon Art Dragon descending from Clouds; Platinum new #3776 Sansui; Sailor 1911 Oshidori and an older Platinum #3776 Poppies.

The first one we will look at again is the Platinum Modern Cranes & Mount Fuji. It is slightly slimmer than the others, uses a snap cap and a different 18K nib.

The imagery, two red crowned cranes flying with a snow capped Mt Fuji in the background is one of the most iconic images found in Japanese art. The red crowned crane is seen as a symbol of faithfulness, of long life and is the bird of happiness. It is also one that was almost hunted to extinction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the 1920 it was estimated that less than two dozen red crowned cranes were left in Japan. Gradually the numbers have increased as they were protected and their habitat secured and today's population is over 1000 birds.

In this depiction the two birds of happiness are seen flying over the hills against the snow capped Mount Fuji.

The next pen is a Pilot/Namki Nippon Art Dragon & Clouds. Here we can see the Japanese (three toed) Jade Dragon descending from the clouds. Dragons also played a big role in myth and religion in Japan. This dragon is associated with rain and agriculture and is partially hidden in the cloud since the belief was that to see the whole dragon was to die.

The nib is 14K fine and there is a slight gold cap rim. The cap is threaded and the design lines up between cap and body.

Next we return to Platinum for a recent threaded cap and slip-n-seal technology #3776. The imagery is Sansui, reflective landscape.

There is no banding on the cap and so the images flow without interruption between the cap and barrel, The cap has several threads and so the alignment changes with a different picture formed each time. The boats move on under the reddened sun past islands and trees.

The fourth pen is a 2005 Sailor Oshidori (Mandarin Ducks). They symbolize life long attachment and faithfullness.

The pen is the large 1911 size, has a 14 K H-F nib and was created by Kosen Oshita, a fourth generation Maki-e artist. On the body you can see a pair, the male and female while on the cap we see a second male preening.

The final pen we will look at today is another Platinum. This one is a much older #3776 with the slip on cap and a long tined narrow shouldered nib. The imagery in this case are red poppies, Hinageshi, and represent fun loving and sharing; certainly appropriate for fountain pens.

So there we are, five glimpses into Japanese art and culture.

[penwash]

What would be "reasonable price" in this context?

[jar]

What would be "reasonable price" in this context?

Under $1,000.00 US is great when it comes to Maki-e. These are less simply because there is less hand done work and prices varied among the ones shown from under $200.00 to near $700.00.

[Lady Onogaro]

Thank you, Jar, for this review and the information on the symbology of the images. My favorites are the Dragon and the Cranes.

[lisantica]

Beautiful pens!

[Jon Szanto]

Thanks, Jar. A very well-written post, with both information and appreciation.

[jar]

A little more Boring Details.

First, silk screening originated in Asia, China most likely, and has been used to create fine art for over 1000 years. Second, silk screening on a curved surface adds to the difficulties of registration and more so when it is not a simple cylinder but an object with compound curves like a fountain pen body. Third, each color requires a separate screening process. Next, to register designs that line up across two different objects held together by threads requires additional precision. Then there is the final step of hand finishing the object.

If you look for example at the Pilot/Namaki Nippon Art Dragon descending from the clouds you can see a great example showing all the steps and problems listed above.

That they can produce products like these pens that sell for the modest increased price over the non-Maki-e versions of these pens is remarkable IMHO.

[jar]

On another forum I was asked if I could show all the pens with nibs exposed together. Even though I do have some concerns about Porn for Christmas here is is. I tried to line them up so that they align where the section meets the body.

The longest section is on the Platinum Modern Maki-e, the widest on the Sailor 1911, the shortest body is the modern Platinum #3776.