MONTBLANC Meisterstück Calligraphy Maki-e Limited Edition 88 Artisan Tribute to Kyoto Fine Craftsmanship Fountain Pen 

Ref. 119690

Mod. M28717

Serial. F5A98391

Limited Edition: ##/88

Made in Germany

Year: October 2019

The pen brings together the centuries-old artistic heritage of Chiso, a leading yuzen kimono atelier founded in 1555 that created elaborate silk kimonos for the Imperial Court, using the Japanese craft of maki-e lacquer. 

In a process that takes three months to complete, the ancient urushi lacquering technique, which involves smoothing, sanding and polishing many paper-thin layers of blue semi-transparent lacquer by hand, has been used on the pen’s cap and barrel. 

Gold powder and tiny particles of cracked abalone shells are then skilfully interspersed between the layers.

·      Cap and barrel decorated with precious cracked shells, applied like micro-mosaic and covered with repeated layers of urushi lacquer

·      Delicate cherry-blossom twigs made from Au750  gold on cap & barrel

·      Cap decorated with Au750 white gold inlay in shape of full moon

·      Fittings solid Au750 white gold

·      Skull with 3D effectexecuted in gold powder set on barrel

·      Handcrafted bi-colour flexible nib engraved w/ kimono designwith cherry blossom as an homage to artists of Chiso

·      Montblanc diamond on cap top (0.37 ct, E, IF)

The concerned pen has never been used nor inked.

It comes with its full set of presentation boxes and paperwork. 

The inner lining of the display box show minor traces of dirty.

Purchased at Montblanc Boutique Capucines, Paris on 25/01/2020. 

Papers are stamped accordingly.

Kyoto - centre of artistic heritage

Kyoto is a city where traditions live on. 

As the former imperial residence, Kyoto attracted the most important artists, craftspeople and scholars for over a thousand years. 

Its inspiring atmosphere of tradition and culture, contemplation and dignity generated extraordinary works, which became famous far beyond Japan. 

One of the bearers of Kyoto's artistic heritage is Chiso, the leading yūzen kimono atelier founded in 1555. 

Elaborate silk kimonos created for the imperial court established the exceptional reputation of the Chiso company. 

For the Montblanc Meisterstück Calligraphy Maki-e Tribute to Kyoto Fine Craftsmanship Limited Edition 88, with fittings made of Au 750 white gold, the Chiso artists have developed a special design uniting the centuries-old Chiso tradition with another great Japanese craft: maki-e lacquer. 

Kara-kami stationery and cufflinks complement this edition.

Maki-e - perfect works of Japanese lacquer art

Becoming a master of maki-e requires exceptional patience, love of detail and many years of education. 

The high art of maki-e is performed purely by hand, exactly as it was hundreds of years ago when the practice of lacquering objects with urushi, a resinous tree sap, served to provide protection against moisture and damage.

The process involves applying, smoothing, sanding and polishing many paper-thin layers of semi-transparent lacquer.

Gold powder or tiny particles of mother-of-pearl are interspersed between the layers, either sprinkled into the still. wet lacquer or precisely placed like a mosaic. 

Every individual writing instrument of the Montblanc Meisterstück Calligraphy Maki-e Tribute to Kyoto Fine Craftsmanship Limited Edition 88 has been created by the hand of a Japanese maki-e master using this traditional urushi technique, with a gold powder motif sprinkled onto a micro mosaic made of the finest mother-of-pearl particles. 

The Montblanc Diamond decorates the cap top.

Cherry blossoms and moon glow

The aesthetics of maki-e art have always rested not only on the elaborate technique but also on the selection of motifs that are worked into the fine layers of the urushi lacquer. 

One of the most important symbols in Japanese culture is the cherry-tree blossom, which signals the beginning of spring and also stands for youth, awakening into life and budding love, according to sources as early as the Man' yōshū the oldest Japanese poetry collection. 

As a counterpart to the cherry-blossom show o-hanami in the spring, is the moon show o-tsukimi in the autumn, which celebrates a rich harvest and the beauty of the full moon. 

The cap is decorated with an inlay depicting the moon, which is made from Au 750 white gold, and delicate cherry-blossom twigs, which are made from Au 750 gold. The eternal beauty of calligraphy stands in opposition to vanity, a symbol of inescapable mortality. 

This timeless lesson of the ephemeral quality of life was expressed in several old Japanese books and in the teachings of Buddhism. 

It expresses the concept that nothing is eternal, hence we need to embrace and appreciate each moment of life. This is depicted on the barrel of the limited edition in the form of a skull made from Au 750 gold.

Calligraphy - the aesthetics of writing

The art of beautiful writing is deeply rooted in the cultures of humankind. Calligraphers - those who mastered the art of writing - were highly esteemed people all over the world in ancient times. 

Even great inventions that accelerated the process of writing and disseminating information - first and foremost the printing press - couldn't diminish the fascinating aesthetics of capturing a thought artistically, calligraphically and by hand.

And in this art, the quill pen has a special meaning. 

For the Montblanc Meisterstück Calligraphy Maki-e Tribute to Kyoto Fine Craftsmanship Limited Edition 88, Montblanc has developed a flexible nib, which not only transmits an exceptional feel while writing, but also enables a multitude of individual writing styles and line widths. 

As an homage to the artists of Chiso, who developed the design of the writing instrument, a kimono is engraved into the handcrafted nib made of Au 750 gold.