AGJ Original Maki-e Fountain pen #48 "Shakkyo (Stone Bridge)" Sailor King of Pen KOP Sparkling Togidashi Taka Maki-e Kyoto Japan Wa

This AGJ original Maki-e Fountain pen is made by famous Kyoto Maki-e Artisan "Sarusuberi".
This design is an AGJ's original. You can not find anywhere else.
Kyoto Maki-e is the best known Maki-e technique in Japan.
This is original Maki-e fountain pen based on Sailor fountain pen, King of Pen.





This design (Stone Bridge) is derived from the very famous Japanese Noh paly (Shakkyo) which is a classical Japanese musical play that has been performed since the 14th century.
The background of this pen is Peonies, and the two Noh players performing the white parent lion and the red child lion.
Sanskrit character meaning Monjyu-Bosatsu is makie-painted on the top the cap.

A monk Jakusho travels to Shoryo mountain in China which is one of the footprints belonging to Buddha. At the stone bridge of Shoryo, he appears and tells him that the land beyond the stone bridge is the pure land of Monjyu Bosatsu and that it is not easy for the human beings to cross the long and very narrow bridge over a deep gorge, which indicates the difficulty of Buddha ascetic training. The boy predicts the monk will see a miracle if staying here, and then disappears.
At the other side of this stone bridge, lions, which are the messangers of Monjyu-Bosatsu, come out and play with gorgeous and fragrant peony flowers and dance "Lion Dance (Shishi-mai)", and then lions return to a carriage of Monjyu-Bosatsu.
Coat silver powder with color urushi lacquer.


White lion: Taka Maki-e
　Hair: Coat silver powder with white urushi lacquer
　Face: Gold powder
　Fangs: Silver powder
　Inside mouth: Color urushi
　Beard: Black urushi
　Eyes: Abalone shell
　Eye balls: Black urushi
Collar: Silver powder
Pattern:
　Coat silver powder with black urushi
　Lines are drawn by gold powder


Hakama(Japanese skirt: Formal wear):
　Base:
　　White urushi on gold powder,
　　Coat silver powder with white urushi over the base
　Pattern: Gold powder
Clouds: Silver powder
Inside cloud: Platinum powder
Bishamon Kikko:
　Coat gold powder with color urushi
　Coat silver powder with black urushi
　The center of Bishamon Kikko is drawn by black urushi
Bishamon Kikko is a decorative pattern composed of three joined hexagonal shapes. It is named after the guardian deity Bishamonten, whose armour is often decorated with this pattern.


Belt: Silver powder
　Pattern: Black urushi and silver powder
　String: Silver powder
Tabi(Japanese Socks): Silver powder


Clouds: Silver powder
Inside cloud: Platinum powder
Pattern:
　Coat gold powder with vermilion urushi
　Lines are drawn by gold powder


Red Peony: Togidashi Maki-e
Petal: Coat gold powder with color urushi lacquer
Center: Coat gold powder with color urushi lacquer
Pollens: Sprinkle coarse gold powder


Hakama(Japanese skirt: Formal wear):
　Coat gold powder with vermilion urushi
Pattern: Gold powder, Silver powder


Red lion: Taka Maki-e
　Hair: Coat gold powder with vermilion urushi lacquer
　Face: Gold powder
　Fangs: Silver powder
　Inside mouth: Color urushi
　Beard: Black urushi
　Eyes: Abalone shell
　Eye balls: Black urushi
Collar: Silver powder
Belt: Apply urushi over sprinkled gold powder
　Pattern: Black urushi and gold round powder
　String: Silver powder
Pattern: Gold powder
Center of flower: Gold powder
Gorund color: Silver powder
Apply color urushi over the whole kimono




White Peony: Togidashi Maki-e
Petals: Coat silver powder with color urushi lacquer
Center: Coat silver powder with color urushi lacquer
Pollens: Sprinkle coarse gold powder
Leaf:
　Gold powder, Silver powder
　Coat gold and silver powder with green color urushi lacquer


Sanscrit character: Hira Maki-e
Gold powder
This character means "Monjyu-Bosatsu(One of Bodhisattva's)".




Artist name: Gold powder

Hira Maki-e
1. Urushi lacquer
2. Sprinkle Gold powder, Seikin: Alloy of Gold, Silver powder, Hirame and so on
3. Coated by Uwazuri and Black urushi
4. Polish by polishing and grindstone powders

Togidashi Maki-e (Mainly used for finishing evenly the background)
1. Urushi lacquer
2. Sprinkle Gold powder, Seikin: Alloy of Gold, Silver powder, Hirame and so on
3. Coated thickly by Nashiji and Black urushi
4. Burnished the urushi lacquer by charcoal
5. Polish by polishing and grindstone powders

• When coarse gold/silver/Hirame/Seikin powders are sprinkled, put a luster by burnished.
• After togidashi maki-e, Togidashi Hira maki-e is decorated Hira maki-e on togidashi maki-e.
• After togidashi maki-e, Togidashi Taka maki-e is decorated Taka maki-e on togidashi maki-e.
• Burnishing is needed when coarse powders are sprinkled.

Taka Maki-e
1. The design is created using urushi lacquer
2. Sprinkle charcoal/Silver powders to raise the layer
3. Dry
4. Spread urushi twice to make the layer thicker
5. Sprinkle gold/silver/Hirame/Seikin powders
6. Coat by Urushi
7. Burnish
8. Polish

• Charcoal powder: Show a soft feeling
• Silver powder: Feel solid