Unknown Maker Japanese Two Design Kamakura Bori Lever Fill Fountain Pen With Morgan Nib C1930S

[PenHero]

Hi, folks!

This is a Japanese lever fill fountain pen with a Morgan nib c1930s with two kamakura bori artwork designs front and back by an unknown pen maker. Kamakura-bori art work is a technique in which many layers of urushi lacquer are layered on the base pen, sometimes in several colors, and then carved to achieve the desired relief design.

http://penhero.com/Temp/UnknownMorgan_1280_03.jpg

Unknown maker lever fill fountain pen from the early 1930s. Unusual two sided, two toned kamakura bori design where one side of the pen is a lighter six petal floral pattern and the other is a darker repeating hexagonal pattern. The gold plated clip is unmarked, probably a jobbed part, and the number 3 14 karat gold nib is stamped WARRANTED MORGAN PEN. About 5 inches long. Loaned for photos by Stan Klemanowicz.

Thanks!

[fountainpagan]

How beautiful, and unusual!!!!

 

Thank you very much for sharing.

[dbm]

I own a few Morgan pens from Japan, and I own a bunch from the Morgan pencil and Pen co. from New York( 3rd tier).

Nothing this nice though.

Often the pen maker will be listed under the warranted nib, so perhaps the maker is actually the Japanese pen maker Morgan....

[bass1193]

Wow! Super cool! It would be great to see the other side too, since this is a two-sided pen!

[PenHero]

Wow! Super cool! It would be great to see the other side too, since this is a two-sided pen!

 

I did an article on this pen with more photos here:

 

http://www.penhero.com/PenInHand/2017/PenInHandMay2017.htm

 

Thanks!

[MartinPauli]

Wonderful pen and great carving.

I hope you don't mind if I allow myself to give you some information about carved urushi techniques.

GURI is the Chinese term for carved lacquer, the Japanese term for carved lacquer is "CHÔ-SHITSU" This technique sometimes requires several dozen up to more than a hundred layers of lacquer, sometimes requiring years to create. Occasionally the term is used to refer any form of carved lacquer.

In Japan carved red lacquer is called TSUISHÛ (shû = red) while carved black lacquer is called TSUIKOKU (koku = black)

Carving lacquer became popular in China during the Sung dynasty; after Sung lacquer was imported to Japan in the Muromachi period the Japanese made imitations from the late 15c. In order to achieve a carvable thickness, 100 to 300 coats of lacquer were applied to the wood and lacquer base. Each layer was allowed to harden for one day and lightly polished.

These difficult techniques became the special preserve of a family whose members each took the name Tsuishu Youzei 堆朱楊成. Tsuishu (layered red) means carved lacquer, usually red, and Youzei conflates the names Youmo 楊茂 (Ch; Yang Mao) and Chousei　張成 (Ch; Chang Cheng) two famous Chinese lacquer carvers. The family continued over 20 generations from the 15c to the 20c, working for the Ashikaga 足利 and then Tokugawa 徳川 shoguns. In the late 18c the Nomura 野村 family shared the official position of shogunal lacquer artists. Chouhitsu is divided by color into tsuishu, tsuikoku, tsuiou 堆黄 (yellow) and kouka ryokuyou 紅花緑葉 (red flowers and green leaves). In tsuishu, literally, piled cinnabar, layers of red lacquer are carved in elaborate designs. Developed in China during the Song and Yuan dynasties, objects made by these techniques were very popular in Japan with tea adepts.

The Muromachi period Kundaaikaan Sôchôki 君台観左右帳記 divides tsuishu into six groups by patterns or layers of lacquer. Since the Edo period, any red surfaced lacquer is called tsuishu. In kouka ryokuyou flower patterns are carved into the layers of red lacquer, and leaf patterns into the green layers. Tsuikoku creates a design by carving into black lacquer built up out of many thin layers. Popular in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, it was imported in the Kamakura through Muromachi periods, and used primarily at temples. It was later made in Japan.

Kamakurabori 鎌倉彫, wood carved and then thinly coated with lacquer urushi 漆, is made in Kamakura. Reportedly a sculptor of Buddhist images made copies of Chinese choushitsu, using such popular Song and Yuan patterns patterns as peony, plum, Chinese lions and clouds. When demand for Buddhist images declined in the Meiji period, kamakurabori was used for household goods.

Cheers,

Martin

[bass1193]

I did an article on this pen with more photos here:

 

http://www.penhero.com/PenInHand/2017/PenInHandMay2017.htm

 

Thanks!

Thank you for the link! Golly that pen is beautiful! 😍

[PenHero]

Hi, folks,

 

Another look at this beautiful pen - this time open.

 

This is a 1930s Japanese lever fill fountain pen featuring a Morgan nib, a premium nib maker. It features two complementing kamakura bori artwork designs by an unknown pen maker. Kamakura-bori artwork is a technique in which many layers of urushi lacquer are layered onto the base pen, sometimes in several colors, and then carved to achieve the desired relief design. The unusual two sided design is also two-toned. One side of the pen is the lighter six petal floral pattern and the other is a darker repeating hexagonal pattern. The design flows on the front and back in a wave rather than simply being two halves, a more difficult technique. Even the nib section has the flower design carved into it. The gold plated clip is unmarked and probably sourced from a parts company, a common practice in Japan for small pen makers. It has a 14 karat gold Number 3 nib stamped WARRANTED MORGAN PEN, which may have been installed in a pen shop, also common with custom and small maker pens. The pen is about 5 inches long capped.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/Morgan_2048_01.jpg

 

Thanks!