Urushi Maki-e

The term “Urushi” refers to the lacquer obtained from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum or “lacquer tree”, a plant species that grows basically in some regions of East Asian countries such as China, Korea or Japan that, due to their high humidity, they constitute the ideal habitat for their development. Around 10 years after planting, these majestic trees are able to be tapped to extract their precious sap, a product with great adhesive properties that hardens and increases its transparency upon contact with air and sunlight, giving it an attractive shine and considerable beauty that have been tremendously valued since ancient times to decorate and increase the resistance of various artifacts ranging from pieces of furniture or tableware to, more recently, fountain pens.

Closely linked to the “Urishi” lacquer is the so-called “Maki-e”, a delicate Japanese ornamental technique that is more than a thousand years old that could be translated as “splash paint” and that, broadly speaking, consists of spraying of gold dust or other precious metals on a surface previously primed with lacquer while it is still wet; The gold is thus adhered to the piece and forms beautiful designs that turn these objects into authentic works of art.

From the combination of the previously described elements arised the Platinum Urushi Maki-e series of fountain pens, today discontinued. An impressive line of writing instruments that revived the artisanal tradition of the Country of the Rising Sun with first-class materials carefully crafted and decorative techniques executed by hand. by master craftsmen who make them luxury objects characterized by their aesthetic refinement and exclusivity, works that transcend mere utilitarianism to become small treasures to be passed on from generation to generation.