Japanese Maki-e Fountain Pens from AP Limited Edition!

Ever wondered how a Japanese Maki-e Fountain Pen is made? Look no further, this video is your answer!
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.
In this video, you will see how a Maki-e Fountain Pen is made from the very start until the finish product. This video has condensed all the most essential steps of making a Maki-e Fountain Pen. What is challenging for a Maki-e artisan when working on a fountain pen is the level of details that they need to achieve. Traditionally, Maki-e is often done on tableware which has a larger surface area for the artisan to work on. A fountain pen has a smaller surface area and this present a different kind of challenge to the artisan. As you watch the video, you can see how the artisans is not only able to overcome but create a wonderful painting on the fountain pen body with Maki-e.
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of this video.
All copyrights go to the original owner, AP Limited Editions.