As we've covered in past issues, the folks at Danitrio have been hard at work creating some wonderful maki-e pens over the last few years. If anything, it seems that they've been picking up the pace, and some of their newest releases have become almost overwhelming in the scope of their design and workmanship.
With
subject matter as diverse as autumn leaves to peacocks, to Japanese
mythology, the maki-e of Danitrio is truly first rate. Whether done
on the immense Mikado series pens, or their "regular" series,
which is still a very large pen, the artwork flows across both cap and
barrel, the results are breathtaking.
It seems that the chief difficulty I have with the Danitrio is in selecting which is the "one pen" I would select from among them. I've never yet managed to narrow it down to just one. Even to get close to the "bare minimum" I would need would require selling off every pen I own, and probably a second mortgage on the house. If you'd like to give it a shot, here are a few of their latest pieces. Just don't blame us if you have trouble choosing your favorite!
Well, there you have it! As we said at the start, it's very tough to choose just one...
Images copyright 2005 William Riepl