Namiki Rakucho and Cherry Blossoms

Namiki Emperor Rakucho and Cherry Blossom. The Rakucho is a mythical bird in an imaginary paradise singing love songs. They are mostly depicted as a colorful pair as a symbol of eternal love.

Birds of paradise are not imaginary. They only occur in the jungle of New Guinea and surrounding islands. They stand out for their incredibly colorful and extravagant plumage with exceptionally long tails, colored threads, veils, and fans. They are tough to spot, these polygamous birds. And they appear to be great singers too.

The barrel and cap are made in sakuragawa or cherry bark created with Oh-Hi-Nuri. Underneath the cherry bark, you can discover abalone shells at the top and bottom of the pen. The petals of the cherry blossom are inlaid with mother-of-pearl, colored and polished to a refined finish.

The Rakucho and Cherry Blossom theme was presented in a Namiki-Dunhill limited edition in 1996. Only 100 copies were made at the time.

In official photos, the pen appears to be light anthracite gray, but it is glossy and dark towards the black in reality. The colorful birds seem to blend into the background, but they show their full color and elegance once in view. The birds are depicted with refined brushstrokes and beautiful transitioning color blends.

Artist Masahiro Yamada signed for The Namiki Emperor Rakucho and Cherry Blossom, and it joined the Namiki Emperor pen collection in November 2020.