Our urushi fountain pens are created in collaboration with Urushi Atelier Netherlands. The studio is led by Dave van Gompel, the only Western graduate of the lacquerware department of the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts. Dave van Gompel and his small team of Japanese co-workers enjoyed a lengthy training in a wide variety of techniques under renowned specialists such as Living National Treasure Masumura Kiichiro (kyushitsu or coating), Japan Art Academy member Mitamura Arisumi (maki-e), Ogura Norihiko (maki-e and raden), Aoki Kodo (kanshitsu), and Matsuzaki Shinpei (raden and hyomon). The studio typically handles restoration work for museums, Royal and State collections, art dealers, and private collectors, and is therefore skilled in a wide range of coating methods and decorative techniques. The studio prides itself in using urushi exclusively, and does not employ a mixture of natural and synthetic coatings.
