Namiki No. 50 Emperor Maki-e Fountain Pen — Carp on Waterfall

Namiki No. 50 Emperor — Carp on Waterfall 

In ancient Chinese legend, a carp that summons the courage to leap the Dragon Gate is transformed into a dragon — an immortal symbol of ambition fulfilled, of perseverance rewarded, of the extraordinary achieved through will alone. The Namiki Carp on Waterfall  brings this legend to life on the grandest canvas in the Namiki range: the No. 50 Emperor body.

Created by senior Kokkokai maki-e master Hyakusen Murata (村田百川), this monumental work employs Namiki's most demanding technique — Shishiai-Togidashi Maki-e (flesh-joining burnished maki-e) — in which multiple lacquer techniques are combined and built up in layers, then painstakingly polished to reveal a composition of extraordinary depth and vitality. Against a ground of black lacquer suffused with gold powder, a great carp surges upward through crashing white water, its scales rendered with breathtaking precision, its body alive with the force of the current it defies.

To hold this pen is to hold the legend itself — a reminder that the greatest achievements begin with the courage to leap.

Craftsmanship

• Created by senior Kokkokai maki-e master Hyakusen Murata (村田百川), signed work
• No. 50 Emperor oversized hard rubber body — Namiki's largest and most prestigious platform
• Black lacquer ground with gold powder (kin-fun) throughout
• Shishiai-Togidashi Maki-e — Namiki's highest-grade combined maki-e technique
• Multi-layer lacquer build-up with burnished togidashi finishing
• Carp ascending waterfall motif — inspired by the Chinese legend of the Dragon Gate 
• Symbolism: success, courage, perseverance, and transformation

Cultural Significance

The legend of the carp leaping the Dragon Gate is one of the most enduring in East Asian culture. A carp that succeeds in ascending the waterfall at the Dragon Gate is said to transform into a dragon — representing the attainment of the highest ambitions through unwavering determination. This pen carries that meaning in every stroke of its lacquer.

An unparalleled collector's masterpiece representing the absolute pinnacle of Namiki maki-e artistry.