ShiZen Dragon's Descent Taka Maki-e Fountain Pen
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- Refund Processing Time: Please allow up to 7 business days for the refund to be processed after we receive the returned item.
U.S. Orders:
- Free Shipping: We offer free shipping for all U.S. orders over $20, including Alaska and Hawaii.
- Standard Shipping Fee: For U.S. orders below $20, a flat shipping fee of $5.99 will be applied.
International Orders:
- Shipping Rates: International shipping rates are calculated based on the weight of the package and the destination country.
- Exclusions: Currently, we do not offer shipping to Russia and South Africa.
The ShiZen Dragon's Descent Taka-maki-e Fountain Pen presents a celestial dragon emerging through layered clouds in one of the most technically demanding works created for the ShiZen collection. Painted by Japanese maki-e artisan Keisuke Seki on a handmade Ranga M4C ebonite body, the composition combines raised gold lacquer, flat maki-e, embedded decoration, and raden shell to give the creature extraordinary dimensional presence.
The Story Behind the Artwork
Dragons in Japanese tradition are powerful but not inherently destructive. They are associated with water, rain, wisdom, protection, and the forces that connect heaven and earth. Unlike the winged dragons of European folklore, Japanese dragons move through clouds and water with long serpentine bodies, acting as guardians and controllers of natural power.
Here, the dragon is shown descending from the heavens rather than coiled in stillness. Clouds conceal sections of its body, allowing the viewer to imagine a creature far larger than the pen can physically contain. The composition therefore depends on interruption: what is hidden becomes as important as what is visible, creating the sense that the dragon continues beyond the lacquered surface.
Artwork Interpretation
The dragon's eyes are the emotional center of the work. Raden abalone gives them a changing iridescence, allowing the expression to shift from fierce to watchful as the pen moves. The same shell is used on the claws, emphasizing the points where the creature meets or breaks through the surrounding atmosphere.
Every scale is individually placed and patterned by hand. The remarkable consistency of spacing gives the dragon anatomical coherence, while internal line work prevents the scales from reading as a simple repeated texture. Seki's inspiration includes the highly detailed dragons of Japanese anime, but the execution remains grounded in classical maki-e disciplines.
The clouds are built from hira-maki-e, taka-maki-e, and embedded design techniques. Flat and raised passages overlap to create depth, while sections of the dragon disappear behind them and re-emerge elsewhere. Fine gold powder scattered across the pen suggests celestial light and visually connects the isolated cloud forms.
The Artisan: Keisuke Seki
Keisuke Seki studied lacquer and maki-e at Kyoto Traditional Crafts College before completing an eight-year apprenticeship under Yutaro Shimode, an important lacquer artist known for restoration work at Ise Jingu and commissions for the Japanese imperial household and state guests. Seki later became independent, continuing a practice that includes Buddhist objects, tea utensils, sword fittings, jewelry, and contemporary accessories.
His Dragon's Descent demonstrates both technical discipline and personal imagination. The precise scale work reflects formal training, while the dragon's expressive face and anime-influenced detail reveal an artist willing to bring contemporary visual culture into traditional lacquerwork.
Ranga M4C Ebonite Body
The artwork is applied over a handmade Ranga Model 4C ebonite pen produced in India. Genuine urushi covers the cap, barrel, section, and even the threads, creating a continuous lacquered object rather than a decorated outer shell. Ebonite provides a warm, durable foundation that has long been associated with premium fountain pens.
Writing Experience
The pen is fitted with a two-tone ShiZen #6 solid 18k Medium gold nib. The nib carries an enso circle surrounding a bonsai tree: the enso represents clarity and creative freedom within Zen practice, while the bonsai symbolizes discipline and the harmony between human care and nature.
An international converter is included, and the pen also accepts standard international cartridges. The ebonite barrel can additionally be filled as an eyedropper by experienced users, although the approved storefront filling-system classification is Cartridge Converter. The cap should not be posted.
Collector Perspective
Dragon's Descent is significant because it is not a generalized dragon motif. The artwork has a named artisan, a documented apprenticeship lineage, a clear narrative action, and a specific technical challenge in the hundreds of individually patterned scales. Its appeal lies in the union of traditional Kyoto lacquer training, contemporary illustration influence, and a substantial handmade ebonite platform.
Technical Specifications
- Product Type: Fountain Pen
- Condition: New Old Stock - with Original Box
- Collection: ShiZen
- Artwork: Dragon's Descent
- Artisan: Keisuke Seki
- Techniques: Taka-maki-e, hira-maki-e, embedded design, raden, gold powder
- Body: Handmade Ranga Model 4C ebonite
- Lacquer: Genuine Japanese urushi, including threads
- Nib Material: Two-tone solid 18k gold
- Nib Size: Medium
- Filling System: Cartridge Converter; eyedropper-capable
- Closed Length: 152.4mm
- Cap Diameter: 16mm
- Barrel Diameter: 16mm
- Weight: Approximately 29g
- Primary Color: Black
- Condition: Excellent Pre-Owned Condition
