The Pontifex Maximus is our first fountain pen model. In Latin, Pontifex means "bridge-builder". Made in Belgium from Japanese ebonite and featuring a "Japanese eyedropper" filling system, this oversized fountain pen is a well balanced writing instrument and offers a generous canvas for urushi and maki-e artwork.
For our first series of six unique urushi artist pens, carte blanche was given to six of the most highly regarded lacquer artists in Japan. Each of these fountain pens is a unique (1/1) work of art and represents the highest level of contemporary urushi art.
Hidemitsu Takana (º1956) was born in the renowned seaside lacquer-producing town of Wajima, and rigorously trained in maki-e from the early age of sixteen. He bravely distanced himself from his traditional training to focus on developing his own artistic vision. His work focuses on his complex relationship with the ocean which brings and consumes life, as was once more made poignantly clear during the 2024 Noto peninsula earthquake.
Hidemitsu's pen is in full togidashi-maki-e and depicts a sayori or Japanese halfbeak from three different angles composed of sheets of silver hyomon, raden and maki-e. Hidemitsu chose and brilliantly executed motifs that reinforce the long and cylindrical shape of the fountain pen to form a harmonious whole. See specification below.
SPECIFICATION
METHOD. Silver hyomon, raden, silver and gold togidashi-maki-e.
MATERIAL. Silver sheets, nacre, gold powder & 100% urushi on ebonite.
FILLING SYSTEM. Japanese Eyedropper (3,5 ml ink capacity).
NIB. #8 18k Gold Bock nib.
DIMENSIONS. Closed length : 152 mm.
Barrel length (incl. nib) : 144 mm.
Barrel diameter : 16 mm.
Cap diameter : 19 mm.
YEAR. 2025
EDITION. 1/1
PRICE. SOLD.