Dream Pen Kyoto Opal - Turquoise Ice

Estimated Delivery: January 2022

Handcrafted with Opal Inlay and Urushi Togidashi technique.

Since the Opal Inlay is applied by hand, the design is different one by one. Therefore, there will be no second fountain pen exactly similar to yours.

Dream Pem Kyoyo Opal

Dream Pen Kyoto Opal is one of the most difficult designs that we have ever made. Crafted with an intensive process of Opal Inlay and Urushi Togidashi technique, each piece is a unique artwork by Maki-e artisan from Echizen, Japan.

The materials used are natural Urushi and unique decorative particles developed in Kyoto, that carry a rich and subtle hue resembling natural opal gemstone.
By inlaying precisely hand-cut opal particles to the whole surface of the pen and then sharpening through successive Urushi layers, the artisan has created a masterpiece with natural iridescence that we have never seen before, even with beautiful Raden art.

Costly materials and a painstaking process make it a treasure in our collection, but still, what we praise the most is the exquisite skills of the artisan behind this art. The master will make 10 and only limited pieces and number each pen with the maki-e technique. This design will not make its comeback in the future!

The Making Process

The process started with base Urushi coating. This is the first essential step to make sure the base fountain pen will be well protected over time. If this base is carefully done, the following Urushi art, as well as the whole object, can last for hundreds of years.

The next step is considered the most intensive one - Opal Inlay. Each small piece of opal is cut out from opal sheets and then affixed to the surface of the pen using Urushi lacquer. The work becomes extremely difficult when opal needs to be applied on the whole pen body cap and grip section, not just a small surface of the pen. If the opal pieces are overlapped, too dense, or too scattered, the artist has to start all over again.

Following this is Togidashi (burnished-raised) process when the true color of Opal is revealed. In this technique, Roiro Urushi (black lacquer) is painted onto the inlaid Opal surface and left to dry. It is then polished with charcoal until the design is revealed. The coating and polishing step repeats several times until the vivid color of opal is fully revealed. There is no exact formula of how many times this should be done. It normally varies from 8 to 15 times or more and between each time is several days of waiting until the Urushi is dried and ready for the next layer.

The final artwork is settled with layers of Suki Urushi (transparent Urushi) and a polishing step.

Specifications

Material & art: Ebonite, Urushi Togidashi, Opal Inlay

Filling mechanism: Converter or Cartridge (European International Standard)

Nib: Wancher 18K gold, Wancher 18K gold - Rhodium-plated

Feed: Standard plastic

Compact air-tight cap: Preven dried-out ink problem

Size & Shape

Packaging