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Lot 1128Ω
DUNHILL-NAMIKI: Geisha and Battledores Maki-e and Aogai Fountain Pen, Namiki Accommodation Clip, c.1928
16 June 2015, 10:00 PDT
San FranciscoUS$25,000 - US$50,000
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DUNHILL-NAMIKI: Geisha and Battledores Maki-e and Aogai Fountain Pen, Namiki Accommodation Clip, c.1928
A superior early Dunhill-Namiki, exceptionally vivid and bright, depicting a battledore decorated with the head of a Geisha in raised hiramaki-e with exquisite aogai highlights. The cap features another battledore. Both cap and barrel are additionally ornamented with fine kirikane gold leaf details. The pen is in the flat-ended style preferred by many collectors, the cap bears a 14K rolled gold band, and the lever is in the classic "lifebuoy" style. Of special note is the 14K rolled gold ball-ended accommodation clip (engraved "Namiki Clip" and with the Namiki "lifebuoy" logo). These clips, rarely seen, were available from Namiki as an option for an additional fee; due to the extra expense, most customers did not opt for the clips, hence their rarity. As much an aesthetic as a practical enhancement, this clip provides a complimentary visual counterweight to the Geisha's enigmatic golden visage, and is the final touch perfecting this exquisite pocket masterpiece. 14K gold #6 Dunhill-Namiki heart-vent nib. Unsigned, but clearly the work of an advanced maki-e master.
This pen will be familiar to serious Namiki collectors, as it is illustrated with a two-page spread in the "Masterpieces" section of Hutt & Overbury's Namiki: The Art of Lacquer Pens (pp. 124-125). See also Larquemin's The Four Seasons of Namiki (p. 50) for a brief appreciation of the Geisha motif, and Murakami's Dunhill-Namiki and Lacquer Pens (p. 54) for an explanation of the rarity of human figures and the absence of facial details on Japanese lacquer pens.
Provenance: From the Collection of a Gentleman.
This pen will be familiar to serious Namiki collectors, as it is illustrated with a two-page spread in the "Masterpieces" section of Hutt & Overbury's Namiki: The Art of Lacquer Pens (pp. 124-125). See also Larquemin's The Four Seasons of Namiki (p. 50) for a brief appreciation of the Geisha motif, and Murakami's Dunhill-Namiki and Lacquer Pens (p. 54) for an explanation of the rarity of human figures and the absence of facial details on Japanese lacquer pens.
Provenance: From the Collection of a Gentleman.