Maki-e

Maki-e (蒔絵 ?, literally: sprinkled picture) is Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold or silver powder as a decoration using a makizutsu or a kebo brush. The technique was developed mainly in the Heian Period (794–1185) and blossomed in the Edo Period (1603–1868). (I copied this from a search on Google.) 

We have one maki-e pen in our collection and it is a doozy. It is a Pilot Pen made in the 1930s and has beautiful maki-e images with inlaid shell. I am pretty sure it is our most valuable pen. I took pictures of the rest of the pen collection today and sent them to the fellow in Texas who might buy or sell for me our collection. This pen also writes like a dream. I am sure it was used for Japanese writing as the nib is flexible and wonderful to use.

I am home sick today. I didn't feel up to painting or visiting Arvin and have been hanging around in my bathrobe until I wanted to get the paper and the mail. Now I am dressed but still don't plan to go anywhere. It has been raining all day. (What else is new?) I really don't mind since I'm hanging out inside anyhow,