While Mr. Koichiro Okazaki's Maki-e theme is more traditional, his son, Hironobu's work is more on the edge. While touring Japan, members of our groups were very impressed with his works. He certainly has the skills of his father, yet he take some chances with his maki-e subjects. His work includes traditional themes of course with same attention to details like his father. $850 each US and $885 international via global express. Nib choices of flexy EF, F, M, Stub. C/C filler, box and papers.
1. Mt Fuji
There are so many Fuij have been painted, but this one is very special to me.
For the base, the cap was painted with Tame-nuri and the barrel was painted with solid black Urushi. The lines were drawn with #10 gold powders, the red Urushi was painted between the lines, the dark part. There are more than 25 different sizes of gold powders, which are used for Maki-e. And they choose different sizes on different occasions to make the designs most effective. The white part of the Fuji was gradated by sprinkling with platinum #2 powders.
The gold cloud with heavily sprinkled #10 and #12 gold powders and gradated downwards. The bottom part of the cloud with very thin sprinkled powder and all carefully burnished before the work is completed.
Can you see those platinum powders shimering...
2. Butterflies. This piece has the most complicated design among this group of five by young Hironobu. From the top on the cap, the small butterfly was done by Sengaki, line painting on the surface, easy one, then the second one, painted with Platinum powders to be Ishime, stone face look surface and carefully burnished, Togidashi method. The third one is another Sengaki, and the fourth , the first on the barrel is Sengaki with white shell Raden. The next one with Hira Maki-e with gold and black Urushi lines. The bottom one has Nashiji, gold powder sprinkled and abalone powders on the wings. This one is finished with Ishime and Togidashi, burnished.
A "platinum" butterfly!
3. Komori (Bats)
This is a wonderful Maki-e piece. The design is rather simple. But it includes many different techniques and Tame-nuri method as its base. On the cap, it uses Akebono-nuri, painted with red Urushi first and then, covered with black gradated Urushi before clear Urushi was painted to be Tame-nuri. The moon was made with gold leaf. There are 5 bats on the pen. The top two little ones on the cap were painted with black Urushi. Then, the top two on the barrel use #12 size of gold powder to draw the finer and heavier lines and to sprinkle on the wing and the body. The abalone Raden was used for the eyes. The bottom larger bat use #5 size gold powder to draw the heavy gold line. It uses#5 gold powder to sprinkle for the wings, and the body was painted on to the surface. The whole piece was carefully burnished to complete it.
4. Frog
The whole pen was painted with Red Sandalwood Grain look with red and black Urushi painted as the grain looks, and then covered with Shuai Urushi , orange color. The frog was done by Taka Maki-e method with green Urushi and gold powders. Sorry, my photos does not show the wood grain well.
5. Silver Wave
I think this is rather a sophisticated design. Platinum powders(Hirame, flat foil) used on the wave crest with Taka Maki-e method. The whole pen was painted with white Urushi, Actually the white looks like Beige). Bokashi-nuri was done with gold flat powders at the top to show the sky in blue Urushi. The barrel urushi has nice textures to it and give a very nice tactile sensation when holding it.
The wave crest again is done with platinum
Thnaks for looking.
Kevin
