An Unbranded Peony Engraved Silver Pen c. 1915

by Jim Mamoulides, April 19, 2024

An unbranded Japanese peony engraved silver fountain pen c. 1915

The Mighty Peony

This is a c. 1915 sterling silver covered hard rubber eyedropper fountain pen with a hand engraved peony (botan 牡丹) design. The base of the cap and the barrel are hallmarked SILVER. The clip is a slip over type made of 18 karat rolled gold plate, marked RK18. The clip is similar to a Waterman design, and may be copied from it. The nib is a 14 karat gold semi flex stamped WARRANTED over 14K over GOLD PEN over IRI. NIBS. The nib stamping is typical of early Japanese gold nibs, dating it earlier than 1937. It may be the original nib, though nibs could be changed on pens over their life. The pen is a standard eyedropper type that is filled by removing the nib section and dripping ink into the barrel. It’s 5 5/8 inches long capped.

An unbranded Japanese peony engraved silver fountain pen c. 1915

The engraving, signed by the artist Shoichi, is one continuous artwork from the cap down through the barrel, predominantly on one side of the pen. There are two open double peonies and buds still on the stem engraved on the barrel and one open double peony and buds still on the stem engraved on the cap. The artist’s signature is very tiny and appears near the bottom of the barrel sleeve where it meets the hard rubber end cap. The silver is polished to a smooth finish and the engraving is in high contrast, either from color fill or oxidation.

An unbranded Japanese peony engraved silver fountain pen c. 1915

The peony symbolizes bravery, honor, courage and strength, especially the red peony. They are known as “the king of flowers,” with a reputation of being strong and unbending in the rain. The peonies depicted on this pen are a large double flower type, possibly kao 花王 , a rare tree peony cultivated in Japan that has magenta/red flowers that appear on each branch tip and the blossoms can be up to ten inches across. The plants are very sturdy and can grow as high as seven feet tall and spread up to six feet wide.

Since this pen has no maker’s marks and only the artist’s signature, it’s impossible to pin down the company that made it. It’s possibly the work of a jeweler who sourced the pen parts from the many pen component makers in Japan at that time. I was able to find two very similar sterling silver pens, one with the brand name Large and one made by Itoya. The Itoya pen is remarkably similar, but Itoya always marked their pens with their brand, so it's unlikely this is an Itoya.

An unbranded Japanese peony engraved silver fountain pen c. 1915, nib detail

This is a special pen. The fit and finish and the engraving work is excellent, especially the detail on the large peony flowers. The high contrast of the engraving from the polished cap and barrel helps the artwork stand out. It's unknown if this was made as a single example for a wealthy customer, or that several were made for sale. It's an unusual and beautiful pen that would find a place of prominence in a Japanese pen collection.

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Ackowledgement

Thanks to Len Provisor for providing information on Waterman clip that is very similar to the one on this pen.

References

Itoya Ink Stopper Silver Shaft Taisho, Mr. paper, May 19, 2016

Kimono with Pheasants amid Peonies, The Metropolitan Museum of Art