The butterfly, depicted on our prized limited edition Maki-e pen, elegantly flapping its wings toward flowers is known as the Great Purple Emperor. The butterfly design is regarded as a symbol of regeneration and revival, an auspicious motif as the butterfly transforms itself from caterpillar to pupa to adult over its lifetime. The Great Purple Emperor's valiant and magnificent appearance, and its stately beauty, has made it the national butterfly of Japan. In comparison to other butterfly species, it is relatively large in size, the adult male being 9 - 10 cm while the female is 11 - 12 cm, with wings fully extended. The caterpillar eats nettle leaves in preparation for its pending metamorphosis. The adult butterfly flies majestically between tall trees seeking the sap of hardwoods, such as oak. The male butterfly has a shiny bright bluish-purple pattern in the center of its wings, hence the reason for its name. The pens depict this elegant pattern through Taka Maki-e (raised lacquer work) technique, displaying beautiful shiny plum-colored wings and Raden (mother-of-pearl) technique.

Together with the Japanese plum, bamboo and orchid, the chrysanthemum is one of the flowers that epitomizes shikunshi*, and is a symbol of autumn. Along with the cherry blossom, the chrysanthemum is widely popular as one of the national flowers of Japan. Chrysanthemum is believed to have medicinal powers conferring immortality and it is said that, since ancient times, people in China have drunk chrysanthemum liquor during the Chrysanthemum Festival (on September 9th of the lunar calendar) in the hope of warding off evil sprits and to acquire longevity. This noble flower is illustrated on the pens through the gold and silver raised lacquer method.

Recently, the living conditions for both butterflies and chrysanthemums have worsened due to the depletion of rural grasslands and mountains as urbanization progresses. The Japanese is keen to respect the symbols of their traditional culture - flowers, birds, wind and moon, as well as nature's beauty. Also, they emphasize that they should preserve the environments surrounding them. With that hope in mind, Namiki is pleased to introduce the 2007 "Butterfly and Chrysanthemum" Namiki limited edition pen.

Only 99 pens have been produced worldwide. The body of the Emperor size pen has been decorated by the skilled artisan Michifumi employing refined Maki-e techniques.

A precision 18-karat gold nib with rhodium accent and piston ink delivery system ensures first-class writing quality and long-lasting performance. A special ink bottle designed specifically for this collectible pen completes the majestic presentation. The pens are presented in an elegant gift box, the lid of which is decorated with a "Kaga Yuzen", one of the most prestigious traditional handicrafts of Japan.