The Samurai Warrior

The Samurai Warrior is a masterpiece in Maki-e, a humble tribute that expresses the magnificent heritage of Japanese history and the premodern warriors of Japan, the Bushi or Samurai as they were called. The Samurai had an indelible impact on the cultural foundations of Japanese society. They were the brave warrior clan of Japan, the military nobility, who lived by a strict honor code referred to as the Bushido.

The Samurai Warrior is crafted in meticulous detail in the highest levels of Maki-e Art techniques described as follows. A Gold background is applied on the entire surface of the fountain pen. The tenseness of warriors at the battlefield is expressed by attaching triangle-shaped kirikane (ultra-thin gold sheets). The horse was first created by the Takamaki-e (or "raised" maki-e) technique using silver powder and then covered with platinum powder and fixed with white urushi lacquer. The samurai warriors were first created by the Takamaki-e technique using silver powder and then covered with gold powder and fixed with colored urushi lacquer.

The part of the general's armor covering the torso was created with the Somata-zaiku*1 technique using the most beautiful parts of aogai*2 seashells and kirikane (fine pieces of ultra-thin gold sheets). Bits of great green turban shells, to which platinum powder was attached on the back, were used for the swords. Itagane (pieces of thin gold sheets) were used for the general's kabuto helmet and warigai (crushed abalone shells) were used for the general's leg armors. Platinum powder was applied to the tips and feathers of the arrows and fixed with colored urushi lacquer. Titanium powder was used for the black parts of the bows, arrows, leg armors of the characters, kabuto helmets, etc.

*1 Somata-zaiku: A technique for creating elaborate patterns/designs by combining fine pieces of aogai*2 seashells and ultra-thin gold/silver sheets, which are attached with lacquer and then burnished.

*2 Aogai: Seashells used for decorating lacquerware including great green turban shells, nautilus shells, and abalone shells.