Bidspirit auction | [Rare Find] NAMIKI: Emperor Rabbit

[Rare Find] NAMIKI: Emperor Rabbit in Moonlight Maki-e & Rankaku Fountain Pen - The Emperor series Rabbit in Moonlight is produced in the Hiratsuka Japan Maki-e workshops. This gorgeous fine writing instrument, like others in this series is crafted in a process that takes months to complete. Using many layers of urishi lacquer with gold, pure pigments and other precious materials the design is artistically and skillfully developed. This breathtaking and awe inspiring fine writing instrument features several maki-e techniques, some of the more notable are the rankaku and raden decorative techniques. Through the exquisite use of warm white eggshells carefully placed, create two precious rabbits on the barrel. The red abalone shells are skillfully set in the rabbits eyes creating a stunning glimmer when reflected in the light. Raden or the use of mother of pearl and/or abalone, is also used in a few leaves among the foliage around the rabbits to give the overall composition of the pen a beautiful moonlight feel. - Emperor sized body - Smooth black ebonite barrel - Beautifully decorated with Raden and Rankaku maki-e - 18k two-tone gold Medium nib - Eye-dropper filling system In The Four Seasons of Namiki, Christophe Larquemin writes: ”The magic of Namiki consists in sublimating an apparently insignificant subject, like rabbits, into a work of art.... An initiation is required to understand the essence, the soul of a Namiki pen.... While some will only see two rabbits at night, others will let these rabbits transport them to the heart of Japanese culture.” Medium 18K two-tone gold nib, large #50 size, Mt. Fuji motif. Outer box, display box, ink bottle, eyedropper, cloth, booklet. No limitation stated, but few were produced due to the labor-intensive eggshell technique.