Beschreibung:

An important Namiki masterpiece depicting an owl on a tree bough, harmoniously composed in gold, silver and autumnal hues in a variety of techniques, including togidashi and raised takamaki-e, giving the pen a wonderfully tactile topographical dimension. The cap features a ball-ended clip and an ornamental band with rosette motif, and the gold dust ornamentation extends to the nib section and feed, a voluptuous detail reserved for A-grade pens. 14K gold heart-vent nib engraved "DUNHILL / NAMIKI / 14CT / -3- / MADE IN / JAPAN." 133mm. Signed by Mansui Yamanaga (born 1892, graduated Ooita Prefectural Industrial Art School in 1909, pupil of Shisen Yamamizu in 1909, Namiki subcontractor starting in 1930). The owl motif is very seldom seen in vintage Namiki pens, and is more familiar from two modern limited Namiki iterations (Yukari and Chinkin). This pen was among Dunhill-Namiki's highest-priced group of pens, originally retailing for a sum equivalent to a month's salary in Japan (the cost was significantly higher in western markets). -Hutt, Julia & Stephen Overbury. Namiki: The Art of Japanese Lacquer Pens. [Toronto: 2000], pp. 110-111 (the present example is listed in the "Masterpieces" section). -Murakami, Tomihiro. Dunhill-Namiki and Lacquer Pens. [Sakura City: 2000], p.60 -Larquemin, Christophe. The Four Seasons of Namiki. [Paris: 2009], p. 197. Provenance: Property of a Gentleman.