Maki-e is often synonymous with Japanese but sometime that is not the case. This Maki-e Pelikan is praised for their priceless beauty!
Every year, Pelikan introduces a limited series of 88 Maki-e Fountain Pens worth up to $8000 per pen but their beauty is priceless. Maki-e (蒔絵 or sprinkled picture) is Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold or silver powder as a decoration using a makizutsu or a kebo brush. The technique was developed mainly in the Heian period (794-1185) and blossomed in the Edo period (1603-1868). Maki-e objects were initially designed as household items for nobles but soon gained more popularity and were adopted by royal families and military leaders as a symbol of power.
To create different colors and textures, Maki-e artists use a variety of powders including gold and silver. Bamboo tubes and soft brushes of various sizes are used for laying powders and drawing fine lines. As it requires highly skilled craftsmanship to produce a Maki-e painting, young artists need many years of training to attain the skills and become Maki-e masters.
This short film follow leading one of the leading Maki-e artisans in Japan, Mushu Yamazaki, at his fascinating work and records, in impressive images, the making of a precious Pelikan Maki-e fountain pen. This pen is done entirely by hand. For this pen, the devil is in the details. The artisan leave no details left untouched. From applying the base Urushi layers to the burnishing, all steps are handled with great care and attention from the artisan. The final step is for Mushu Yamazaki-san to add his signature to the pen. His signature is similar to stamp of approval as no artisan would sign a work that he do not take pride in. It is not exaggeration to say that this Pelikan Maki-e fountain pen is the perfect marriage of German efficient engineering and Japanese artistry.
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of this video.
All copyrights go to the original owner, Pelikan Deutschland
27 май 2018
