Namiki Yukari, Bush Clove

Pilot is pleased to announce the 2023 Limited Edition Namiki Yukari, Bush Clove. This pen is also referred to as Hagi , which translates to Autumn Grass, or Bush Clover. The plant will bud in the spring and reach its full bloom in the beginning of autumn. These beautiful plants grow small and modest flowers with the petals on the end of a delicate arching stem that sway gently in the wind. Bush Clover is cherished as one of the seven flowers of autumn and is references in over one hundred poems in the oldest surviving book of Japanese poetry called “Man'yôshû,” which dates back to the later 7th century. Hagi often symbolizes the deep contemplation that arises from gentle, assuming beauty. It is also believed to have the power of exorcising evil spirits. In a traditional use, Hagi is also utilized in various ways in the five seasonal imperial ceremonies. The exceptional artwork featured on this fountain pen was designed by the highly revered Kokkokai group. It takes many months to expertly handcraft each Bush Clover pen with only 300 produced worldwide, and 69 available in the US. The barrel artwork was created using traditional maki-e urushi lacquer work and finished with a sprinkling of gold dust using the togidashi polishing technique. The shimmering Bush Clover, illuminated by moonlight, is gracefully painted with silver Maki-e and red lacquer. Each of the leaves represented on the pen were intricately crafted using a variety of maki-e techniques. The fuller, gold leaves use a hira (flat) technique with silver-round-powders and polishing while the flowers are depicted with a red urushi lacquer. The accent fans featured use a burnished maki-e technique using grey lacquer and gold-flat-powders that accentuate the undergrowth around the Bush Clover. Since fans become wider at the edge, they have traditionally been regarded as a lucky pattern. The pen has a traditional cigar shaped body style that is enhanced with a #10 18-karat gold and rhodium plated nib accents to depict the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji, available in Fine, Medium, or Broad sizes.