LAMY Limited Edition Dialog 3 Urushi Fountain Pens
"Urushi is a natural lacquer material full of contrasts and used for making crafts and arts in East Asia. This material is distinguished by the unique sheen and depth of color, created by the application of various thin layers. The Lamy dialog urushi edition captures the fascination of this material in a unique tetralogy. The edition of Lamy is limited to only 33 sets. Each set includes four elegantly finished fountain pens, four interpretations of Lamy 3. The guiding theme is the four seasons of the universe. Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Winter represent the cycle of life.
The edition is designed by urushi master Norihiko Ogura (summer) from Japan and Manfred Schmid from Germany (spring, autumn, and winter).
Black urushi lacquer creates the deepest black known worldwide. The addition of iron powder causes oxidation of the lacquer layer and subsequently filtered out. Even though the lacquer layer appears transparent, the application of various layers increases the color depth and intensity. The model includes a rhodium-plated ball valve and clip.
Designed by Manfred Schmid of Germany, the Spring edition is a stainless steel case with light blue niobium coating. For this model, the Urushi master has used a new technique. A thin layer of black lacquer is applied to the stainless steel body and is coated with light blue niobium. After the blue color shimmers through the black lacquer, alcohol is sprinkled over so that a complex structure is formed. This complex structure is full of subtle reflexes and is unique, which cannot be repeated.
The summer edition is designed by Norihiko Ogura, a Japanese Urushi master. In this technique, the super fine-grain gold powder is sprinkled all over the surface of the lacquer. The diameter of each grain is about 0.03mm. Then using charcoal made from camellia wood, the surface is smoothed until the grain size is reduced to half the original. A subsequent gold layer of larger grain size is applied to create a streamlined structure on the surface of the lacquer.
In daily use, these grains are further polished when coming in contact with human skin. The layer becomes further glossier. The lower lacquer layer also becomes visible, and the fountain pen is continuously subjected to the process of changing while using. Here the fountain pen includes gold plated valve and clip.
Designed by German artist Manfred Schmid, the structure is a stainless steel body with golden PVD coating. The model also includes a gold-plated valve.
For making this autumn model, the artist has chosen his method. Usually, lacquer is either black or red, but here transparent lacquer is chosen. Transparent lacquer is used for sealing purposes but not for decorating. For this model, lacquer is applied to a stainless steel body with golden PVD coating. Before the application, the surface is smoothed vertically and horizontally to create a beautiful texture.
This winter model is also designed by Manfred Schmid. The edition is made of a stainless steel body with dark blue PVD coating and finished with black urushi lacquer with a broken structure. The same finishing technique used in the Spring model is used for the Winter edition. Here the model includes a PVD-coated ball valve and black clip.
This artist is a trained cabinet maker and mastered the art of lacquer in Barcelona from 1998 to 2004. He further developed the Urushi technique after returning to his home town of Bremen. After decades of intense practice, Manfred now develops new techniques of highlighting the qualities of the unique material called lacquer.
The works of Manfred have been exhibited in various international exhibitions and received many awards. The designs are included in public collections like Dresden State Art Collections, Hamburg museum of Fine, Applied and Decorative Arts, and many more.
Norihiko Ogura is the Director and long-standing professor of the Institute of Lacquer Art at the Tokyo University of the Arts. This urushi master learned the art from Yoshikuni Taguchi, a former apprentice of urushi master Gonroku Matsuda.
The works of Norihiko Ogura have won most international and national awards, including the Purple Rose of the Japanese Emperor, which was given in 2011. Many exhibitions have displayed the arts of Norihiko Ogura, and the collections are included in many museums, including Victoria and Albert Museum, National Tokyo museum, and Argentina museum for modern art.
The LAMY dialog 3 urushi edition is limited to only 33 sets and will be available at the end of this year. You can order inquire here or ask for more details by emailing us at inna@buchanst.com."
The Fascination of Urushi
Urushi describes the unique material referred to as the Japanese or Chinese lacquer as well as the technique of processing. Urushi is the oldest technique used in China, Korea, and Japan and is preserved as cultural heritage until today. This is the natural material that is only extracted in small amounts by hand from Asian lacquer trees. As only small amounts are removed, this material is very precious. https://youtu.be/J4o5ve2TOBU Traditional objects like bowls, chopsticks, and caskets are finished with urushi and have a protective and representative role. The urushi is generally applied to materials such as bamboo, metals, textiles, and leather. The application of the lacquer to other materials is a very lengthy process and takes more time, even years or generations. Urushi is more or less indestructible due to many layers that are hardened and polished.The Lamy Dialog Urushi Edition for the 4 Seasons
Spring Edition
Black urushi lacquer creates the deepest black known worldwide. The addition of iron powder causes oxidation of the lacquer layer and subsequently filtered out. Even though the lacquer layer appears transparent, the application of various layers increases the color depth and intensity. The model includes a rhodium-plated ball valve and clip.
Designed by Manfred Schmid of Germany, the Spring edition is a stainless steel case with light blue niobium coating. For this model, the Urushi master has used a new technique. A thin layer of black lacquer is applied to the stainless steel body and is coated with light blue niobium. After the blue color shimmers through the black lacquer, alcohol is sprinkled over so that a complex structure is formed. This complex structure is full of subtle reflexes and is unique, which cannot be repeated.
Summer Edition
The summer edition is designed by Norihiko Ogura, a Japanese Urushi master. In this technique, the super fine-grain gold powder is sprinkled all over the surface of the lacquer. The diameter of each grain is about 0.03mm. Then using charcoal made from camellia wood, the surface is smoothed until the grain size is reduced to half the original. A subsequent gold layer of larger grain size is applied to create a streamlined structure on the surface of the lacquer.
In daily use, these grains are further polished when coming in contact with human skin. The layer becomes further glossier. The lower lacquer layer also becomes visible, and the fountain pen is continuously subjected to the process of changing while using. Here the fountain pen includes gold plated valve and clip.
Autumn Edition
Designed by German artist Manfred Schmid, the structure is a stainless steel body with golden PVD coating. The model also includes a gold-plated valve.
For making this autumn model, the artist has chosen his method. Usually, lacquer is either black or red, but here transparent lacquer is chosen. Transparent lacquer is used for sealing purposes but not for decorating. For this model, lacquer is applied to a stainless steel body with golden PVD coating. Before the application, the surface is smoothed vertically and horizontally to create a beautiful texture.
Winter Edition
This winter model is also designed by Manfred Schmid. The edition is made of a stainless steel body with dark blue PVD coating and finished with black urushi lacquer with a broken structure. The same finishing technique used in the Spring model is used for the Winter edition. Here the model includes a PVD-coated ball valve and black clip.
About the Artists
Manfred Schmid
This artist is a trained cabinet maker and mastered the art of lacquer in Barcelona from 1998 to 2004. He further developed the Urushi technique after returning to his home town of Bremen. After decades of intense practice, Manfred now develops new techniques of highlighting the qualities of the unique material called lacquer.
The works of Manfred have been exhibited in various international exhibitions and received many awards. The designs are included in public collections like Dresden State Art Collections, Hamburg museum of Fine, Applied and Decorative Arts, and many more.
Norihiko Ogura
Norihiko Ogura is the Director and long-standing professor of the Institute of Lacquer Art at the Tokyo University of the Arts. This urushi master learned the art from Yoshikuni Taguchi, a former apprentice of urushi master Gonroku Matsuda.
The works of Norihiko Ogura have won most international and national awards, including the Purple Rose of the Japanese Emperor, which was given in 2011. Many exhibitions have displayed the arts of Norihiko Ogura, and the collections are included in many museums, including Victoria and Albert Museum, National Tokyo museum, and Argentina museum for modern art.
Pre-Orders Available at Buchan's Kerrisdale Stationery
The LAMY dialog 3 urushi edition is limited to only 33 sets and will be available at the end of this year. You can order inquire here or ask for more details by emailing us at inna@buchanst.com."
