Maki-e Fountain Pens: Namiki, Pilot, Sailor and Platinum
Japan's great pen makers grew up in the early twentieth century, and they soon turned to their own country's oldest decorative art, lacquer. Pens finished in urushi and decorated with maki-e, pictures of sprinkled gold, are among the most beautiful writing instruments ever made, and they are collected around the world.
Namiki and Pilot
Ryosuke Namiki founded the company that became Pilot in 1918. Within a few years it was producing pens coated in urushi, which protected the hard rubber beneath from discolouring, and then decorated with maki-e. In the 1930s, pens sold in Europe through the London firm of Dunhill introduced maki-e pens to Western collectors. Pilot continues to make Namiki maki-e pens today, from smaller models to large, elaborate pieces.
Sailor and Platinum
Sailor, founded in 1911, is admired for its nibs, including specialist grinds for Japanese and Western writing. Platinum, founded in 1919, has long made lacquered pens of its own. Both work with lacquer artists on limited editions, and independent workshops founded by former craftsmen also produce urushi pens to order.
The maki-e artists
Many maki-e pens are signed by the artist who decorated them, usually with a small signature and red seal in lacquer near the end of the barrel or cap. In the 1930s a group of lacquer artists formed under the guidance of the master Matsuda Gonroku and worked on pens of exceptional quality. Signed pieces by recognised artists are far more valuable than unsigned decoration.
Techniques on a pen
- Hiramaki-e and takamaki-e. Flat and raised gold pictures, as on lacquer boxes.
- Raden. Inlaid mother-of-pearl, catching the light as the pen turns.
- Togidashi. Pictures polished back to the surface beneath layers of lacquer.
What to check
- Lacquer. Look for chips, cracks and wear, especially at the cap lip and clip.
- Nib. Check the tipping and tines under a loupe, and ask for a writing sample.
- Filling system. Eyedropper, lever, piston or cartridge and converter. Old sacs and seals often need replacement.
- Completeness. Boxes, certificates, pouches and instructions add value to modern editions.
Care
Keep maki-e pens out of direct sun, which dulls urushi over time, and store them capped in a case. Flush with clean water when changing inks, and avoid heavily saturated or pigmented inks in valuable vintage pens.