This fountain pen is an early Pontifex Maximus prototype. In Latin, Pontifex means "bridge-builder". Pontifex Maximus was inspired by the early De La Rue Onoto plunger fillers – the pens that started the Japanese interest in and production of fountain pens – but executed on the monumental scale of the Parker Giants of the 1910s in order to provide a generous canvas for urushi and maki-e artwork. The early plunger fillers had a step on the filling knob (to post the cap) and so did our first prototype. To further reduce the functional object to its essence, we ultimately decided to remove the step.
Asa-no-ha means 'Hemp leaf', a traditional motif in Japanese art and culture symbolizing healthy growth. The Asa-no-ha motif is executed in togidashi-maki-e, which is the most difficult maki-e technique. The hemp leafs are represented in raden inlay.
The hemp leaf motif is also a nod from the maki-e artist to his country of origin, the Netherlands. Dave van Gompel is the only Western graduate of the lacquerware department of the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts. From the early 17th century, his fellow Dutch countrymen avidly traded and collected Japanese urushi and maki-e art. Today we find some of the most important Japanese lacquer collections in the Netherlands. This prototype marks our first collaboration with Urushi Atelier Netherlands.
SPECIFICATION
METHOD. Togidashi-maki-e, raden inlay.
MATERIAL. Gold, silver, nacre & 100% urushi on ebonite.
FILLING SYSTEM. Japanese Eyedropper (3,5 ml ink capacity).
NIB. #8 14k Gold Bock nib.
DIMENSIONS. Closed length : 152 mm.
Barrel length (incl. nib) : 142 mm.
Barrel diameter : 16 mm.
Cap diameter : 19 mm.
YEAR. 2023.