1930/31 DUNHILL NAMIKI LACQUERED PEN

This pen was the first grade "A" design used by Alfredo Dunhill Ltd. and was highlighted in their 1931 and subsequent catalogs. In a memo to store employees it described the pen in the following manner: " This little piece is a Triumph of the lacquerer's art and is worthy of the Old Masters...... The idea of motion is vividly conveyed by the forward tilt of the vessel , the fluttering flags , the drift of the clouds and the "sound" of the waves. 
The subject matter for this special pen dates back to the 17th century. By 1641 a policy of exclusion was completed whereby Japan was virtually cut off from direct contact with the outside world. Limited trade was allowed by the Koreans , Chinese and Dutch , the focal point of such relations being the sending of embassies or tribute missions to Edo , the political capital of Japan . Such events became so popular that they were re-enacted through annual festivals , and were subsequently mimicked by children. Since the Japanese were forbidden to travel abroad and few had direct contact with the outside world , all non -Western foreigners tended to be grouped toghether as Chinese or Korean, the nationalities with wich they were most familiar. From the 18th century onwards , the portrayal of a Chinese , Korean or Dutch ship , toghether with Chinese children , aludes to foreign trade and contact with other cultures.

In NAMIKI The Art of Japanese Lacquer Pens by Júlia Hutt and Stephens Overbury. Page 72
Published by PENS UNLIMITED 
Copyright 2000

Details of this pen:
Chinese children in a Chinese ship with pennants .
Cap : birds above waves with distant mountain shoreline. 
Black lacquer ground , heavily sprinkled with gold powder, gold, silver, red green and black hiramakie , takamakie and togidashie . Gold lacquer feed . Signed Takeshi?