Mystery Pilot 1978 Makie Fountain Pen With Flying Birds

[keithyd]

Hi, I recently picked up a nice Pilot black fountain pen with gold painted flying birds on the cap and barrel. It has an 18 k gold nib and H1278 stamped on the nib, which I think refers to the date of production (Dec 1978) from the Hiratsuka factory in Japan. It is a "converter " filler with "press here" and "Pilot Made in Japan" stamped into the metal casing. I haven't found a similar pen doing usual "google" search, and wondered if anyone can supply any more information for me ? ( Images enclosed) Regards Keithyd

[jar]

Not a lot of help I fear but the design is a traditional "Plover", Chidori 千鳥. It is similar to some of the Dunhill/Pilot/Namiki Maki-e pens so I would search in that direction.

[keithyd]

Jar Many thanks for the assistance , I will check out the Plover design on the web sites ! Cheers Keith

[coffeycat]

I have managed to find the artist's name, which is 虚舟 from 国光会 (Kokkokai). There were a couple of results from Google that pointed to pens that had his name but seemed to be quite old. He is not listed on the current Kokkokai artist list so it is very likely that he has retired. That's all I can find for now. Hope it help.

[jar]

I have managed to find the artist's name, which is 虚舟 from 国光会 (Kokkokai). There were a couple of results from Google that pointed to pens that had his name but seemed to be quite old. He is not listed on the current Kokkokai artist list so it is very likely that he has retired. That's all I can find for now. Hope it help.

That's interesting. 虚舟 is the symbol for the Utsuro-Bune object; the woman in the hollow ship tale from the 1800s.

[keithyd]

Coffeecat, Many thanks for the translation work, I will also do some research on Kokkokai !!! Cheers Keith

[keithyd]

Jar , Thanks again for further information ! Keith

[jar]

Jar , Thanks again for further information ! Keith

You likely have a winner there; a maki-e from one of the Masters. Nice catch.

[keithyd]

Jar, thanks for this, I do hope so, it was in a mixed lot of pens at an antiques auction, I thought the pen looked a bit "special" when I viewed them ! Keithyd

I dream of coming across a really special pen, do you think it has a value ?

[jar]

Jar, thanks for this, I do hope so, it was in a mixed lot of pens at an antiques auction, I thought the pen looked a bit "special" when I viewed them ! Keithyd

I dream of coming across a really special pen, do you think it has a value ?

It certainly has some value. The pen looks to be signed by the artist and not a studio mark. My guess is still that it is from the Dunhill pens because it appears to have the red maki-e shi cartouche usually found on individual works as opposed to the silk screened pens. The design is one that is often used, a stylized Plover and that particular fountain pen model was used on quite a few of the Dunhill/Namiki offerings that were all individual creations and not silk screened.

 

But even if it is one of the silk screened examples it can still have great value. Here is a short summary I did not too long ago on the entry level Maki-e pens.

 

"Kokkokai" is the name of the Pilot/Namaki gathering of artists IIRC and when seen alone always points to a studio work but again, on your pen there is an individual artists qualifier.

 

If you could it might be well worth contacting Dunhill with as much information and pictures of the pen to see if they could tell you more. Worst case you have a entry level pen worth a few hundred dollars to a Dunhill/Namiki pen worth thousands.

[keithyd]

Having trawled through some Japanese auction sites, I found some photos of an identical pen which appears to have been made in 1977. The pen is described on the website as "Pilot Maki-e Kunimitsu Concert Ishikawa Bird - nib 18 K . Not sure how much sense this makes in translation into English, but the value was marked up at 30.180 yen, which I think is equivalent to around £228 UK Sterling. Does this sound about right, or have I lost something using "Google Translate "? Keithhd

[sumoshogo]

Hi - I just came across this thread...so please excuse such a late entry! The artist is Kyoshu Kawagushi; the signature is listed in Tomihiro Murakami's book. Pilot records say his lifespan was 1905 - 1989 and that he was one of Pilot's regular employees (as opposed to a contractor) from 1959, a member of the Kokkokai artists guild. He was awarded many prizes.

 

The pen itself is a Pilot 'Deluxe' model. Pilot Deluxe models were produced with different grades of lacquer work: relatively simple designs that are signed Kokkokai only, and more challenging maki-e designs that were signed by the individal artist in addition to the Kokkokai kanji. Your pen with the plover design is somewhere between the two - it is (with all respect) a relatively simple design, but it is signed by the artist, quite possibly in my opinion, as a sign of respect for his standing and virtuosity as a maki-e artist.

 

Deluxe models signed Kokkokai go for around $150 - $250, whereas pens signed by the individual artists with high quality maki-e can sell for $1000s depending on quality and desirability.

 

The nib imprint tells you the date of manufacture (of the nib, but we can assume this to be of the pen and lacquer work also). The H on the nib refers to the Hiratsuka factory, and the last two digits (78) refer to the year of manufacture, 1978.

 

Pilot deluxe models were never retailed as Dunhill-Namiki's. Post-war Dunhill-Namiki pens were offered in the earlier 'Super' fountain pen model, and the nibs would carry the Dunhill imprint.

[keithyd]

Many thanks for your useful end informative comments

[Bo Bo Olson]

Any way you have a pretty pen done by a Japanese National Treasure. or what we might call a Grand Master.