MAKI-E A STORY WAITING TO BE WRITTEN by Alberto Gerosa

\Maki-e Una favola da scrivere,

“MAKI-E. A STORY WAITING TO BE WRITTEN”

A Journey through the World of Lacquered Fountain Pens

by Alberto Gerosa

Pens decorated following the ancient Japanese arts of lacquering and maki-e techniques (a term which means ‘painting disseminating gold dust’ and other precious metals) are one of the most exciting and exclusive sectors of the production of writing instruments. A similar status is partly given by the exceptional gifts of virtuosity and patience that the craftsmen/maki-e artists have to apply to paint motifs of extraordinary precision on the narrow, curved surfaces of a pen, and partly by the beauty of the motifs. The fact that the latter often allude to typical figures of Japanese folklore and collective imagination, and also famous poetic compositions and Zen proverbs merely adds an aura of intriguing magic to these authentic microcosms vibrating with life, torn from the vortex of time and fixed under the formidable protective film of Japanese urushi lacquer.
This volume accompanies the reader on a journey of discovery of countless extraordinary fountain pens, good representatives of the production of the last decade worldwide. Browsing its pages, the names of Japanese companies specialised in the sector such as Pilot-Namiki, Sailor and Nakaya occur almost like a mantra; nevertheless, there are also many other prestigious companies from various corners of the planet.
The pens are presented to the reader divided by theme. The path of this journey on the wings of fantasy is, therefore, marked by strongly evocative and emblematic stages of the traditions and the conception of the Japanese world such as, to name but a few, the cycle of the seasons, Kabuki and Noh theatre, the dragons of mythology and the heroes of ancient battles. In addition to the pictures of individual pens, splendid groups of fountain pens photographed against the backgrounds of specially created set designs contribute to creating the dreamy atmosphere which pervades this volume.
A chapter of the book also deals with other accessories such as watches and pipes, these, too, created using urushi and lacquering techniques. Nor is there a lack of appendices with information of a practical nature, from the history to the description of the techniques used, to the indications of places where similar artefacts can be admired and sources where the individual’s knowledge on the subject can be deepened.

Alberto Gerosa was born in Milan in 1974. He graduated in Philosophy from the Università Ca' Foscari, Venice, writing a thesis on Nietzsche and Strindberg. He has been a professional journalist since 2007, and has worked with Penna and Penna Vintage, titles produced by OPS circulated around the world, as well as other specialist periodicals in the luxury and watch-making sectors. He was also editor-in-chief of an art magazine with a national circulation.

Of Central European training and culture (he is a sessional lecturer at the University of Vienna), he approached the traditions of Japan as a result of lacquered pens. In 2011, Gerosa spent an intense (also judging by the thousands of miles covered on the Shinkansen) period in the land of the Rising Sun to find out more on the subject of this book.