ShiZen Kingfisher's Devotion on M4C Fountain Pen

✓ 100% Genuine Urushi

✓ Contains the Maki-E Red Seal (Highest Quality of Maki-E Art)

✓ Hand-painted by highly-trained Japanese Artisans

Product Video:

Product Description:

This pen marks the beginning of ShiZen’s Birds of Japan series, a celebration of Japan’s native birdlife brought to life through beautiful maki-e art.

This exquisite maki-e fountain pen tells a story of devotion through the courtship ritual of kingfishers. In the scene, the male kingfisher is captured mid-flight, bringing a freshly caught Mutsu river fish — a gesture of love — to the waiting female perched on a stake. Her reddish lower beak is rendered in shimmering red and gold, a delicate touch that reflects her gender and presence. The entire pen is finished in deep black lacquer, enhanced with a fine sprinkling of gold. Both kingfishers are created using the takamaki-e technique (raised design), in luminous gold and detailed with vibrant colored urushi lacquer that includes blue, orange, red, and brown. The male kingfisher’s head is accented with mother-of-pearl (raden), while the cheeks glisten with crushed quail eggshell (rankaku), expressing lifelike texture. The female kingfisher rests over a gabion compose of raden and gold nashiji-nuri (pattern resembling the skin of the Asian pear). Flowing beneath them, golden water swirls glides along the barrel, accented with luminous raden to capture the shimmer of a moving stream. Nearby, reeds rise from the banks in gold, adding balance and grounding to the scene. The small Mutsu river fish on the grip section completes the moment — a symbol of offering and connection. Each detail is meticulously crafted to honor the quiet drama of nature, transforming this pen into a poetic expression of beauty, courtship, and artisan mastery.

About M4C Pen Body and Filling System:

This pen was produced in partnership with Ranga Pens. Urushi lacquer is applied over a solidly constructed handmade Ranga model 4C ebonite pen body, including the threads.

Pen comes with an international pen converter but pen barrel chamber can also be filled eye dropper style (eye dropper does not come with pen).

 Nib Details:

This pen is furnished with a ShiZen 18k Gold, two-toned #6 nib, medium tip (currently ShiZen only offers one size: Medium)

The logo depicts an enso circle around a bonsai tree. Both of these illustrations have connections to Zen Buddhism. Enso circle represents a tranquil meditative state where one's mind is able to be emptied so that they can exercise immense creativity. Bonsai trees are commonly grown in Japan as they are perceived as living things that require discipline to care for them -- they also serve as harmony between nature and human-beings. 

 Technical Specification:

 About the Artisan:

Maki-e artisan Shogo Hariya lacquered this pen. Born and raised in Yamanaka Onsen, a region in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture known for its deep lacquerware traditions, Hariya was immersed in the world of craftsmanship from an early age. He grew up watching his parents create lacquer works, and at 18, began formally studying maki-e under their guidance. The spark to create something meaningful with his own hands, combined with admiration for his parents’ distinctive artistic expression, solidified his decision to pursue the path of a maki-e artisan. Over the years, Hariya has developed his own artistic voice, applying maki-e not only to traditional forms but also to contemporary items such as jewelry, fountain pens, stone and wooden vases, sake cups, stone figurines, and inkstones. He also continues to decorate traditional objects like tea ceremony utensils. Always open to new challenges, he welcomes opportunities to bring maki-e to novel mediums. His sources of inspiration are rooted in the natural beauty around him — he finds ideas in bird watching and in the flower beds of his garden. He also draws influence from historic Japanese art, especially crafts from the Meiji period such as maki-e and cloisonné. Hariya has exhibited his work at prestigious venues including the National Convention of the Japan Traditional Craftsmen Association, the Tokyo Dome Tableware Festival, and a solo exhibition titled “The World of Hariya Maki-e” at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store. His artistry has been recognized with several honors, including selection for the 2014 JAPAN BRAND Watch Face Contest and the 2018 National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. That same year, he was officially certified by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry as a Traditional Craftsman in the Decoration Division of Yamanaka Lacquerware — a title granted to individuals with over 12 years of experience and demonstrated mastery. In 2023, he received the Chairman’s Award from the Yamanaka Lacquerware Cooperative Association for his highly acclaimed kingfisher-themed maki-e work on an inkstone.