NAMIKI by Maz Farouki – Limited Edition of 500 sets of 2 hardcover volumes housed in a single slipcase. VOLUME I – HISTORICAL & APPENDICES (160 pages), VOLUME II – PORTFOLIO (434 pages). Weights 4.6kg. Language: English. Factory sealed
The most comprehensive work to date on Namiki and, specifically, Dunhill-Namiki Peter Tilley, former Director of the Dunhill Museum & Archive
After earning my law degree strangely enough my first idea was to became an antiquarian bookseller. Unforeseeable circumstances led me into the pen business instead. Now, after fifteen years as a professional pen dealer, the circle closes and I’ve had the privilege to combine two long-standing passions of mine becoming the exclusive distributor of this distinctive book about Namiki written by fellow collector, and friend of mine, Maz Farouki.
The very first thing that comes to mind in commenting on this new book is: finally a Namiki book that isn’t marketing-oriented! In fact what I’ve appreciated right away is its rigorous approach. The entire historical reconstruction is the result of meticulous archival research. Particularly noteworthy is the effort to clarify the early phase of the Namiki Manufacturing Co. Ltd preceding the sales agreement with Dunhill.
Even though the subject may appeal to a niche audience, it is a book that, at least in my view, can be appreciated by different types of readers. Those who simply want a quick run-through of the diverse creations of the Namiki atelier can endlessly leaf through Volume II (which gathers the most significant pieces from the Dunhill archives and the world’s most important private collections). Readers with a more scholarly inclination can instead focus on Volume I, which brings together in one place research tools of extraordinary usefulness. For example, it includes all the original catalogues (and print advertising) from the period in which items decorated by the Namiki workshop appeared for the first time on the market. Also worth mentioning is the painstaking, systematic cataloguing of nearly all the artists (and their signatures) who collaborated with Namiki. And for the more dedicated enthusiasts, there is, translated into English for the first time, Wada Setsuji’s Travel Journal. If you appreciate the subject, this will be an engaging read that will transport you to a time when there was still a solid work ethic, a genuine sense of taste and a profound respect for beauty and balance.
Maz Farouki’s Namiki is a meticulous and informative treatment of Namiki literature; the Author breaks new ground as he analyzes not just pens but “anything and everything decorated by the Namiki workshop” (an often neglected area of research by scholars). He treats the subject with accuracy, vision, and respect in a clear, readable prose. I won’t hesitate to say that Maz’s book will prove to be a seminal work in Namiki studies.
About the Author
The son of Palestinian parents who emigrated to England, Mazin Farouki grew up in Durham in the north of England. Presently he lives in the USA, with his wife of almost fifty years, and where their two sons and four grandchildren also reside. Maz, as he is more commonly known, started collecting Namiki maki-e works in 2001, when, as a collector of vintage fountain pens, he became fascinated with the works of art that were Dunhill-Namiki pens. Unable to afford these, he found that, if you searched hard enough, you could find the same Namiki maki-e art on numerous other articles such as pocket lighters and cigarette cases, and these were more affordable. He became focused on collecting anything and everything decorated by the Namiki workshop from the 1920s and 1930s; the more unusual the item, the more exciting! A few years later he met Peter Tilley, archivist and curator for Dunhill’s collection and museum, and the idea of writing a book was born. In Tokyo he met Yasuko Kobayashi, daughter of Setsuji Wada who in 1926 had established the Namiki company’s branch in London. Following this meeting, the idea of a book was firmly cemented. It has taken more than two decades to complete the project, largely because of the author’s ‘real’ job working on overseas assignments in the oil and gas exploration industry. But also because he took great pride in personally creating the book itself: its design, the layout of the content and images using Adobe InDesign, and the photography; essentially, everything but the printing and binding. For Maz, undertaking this project has been very rewarding. He has come to respect and enjoy Japanese culture. And priceless are the friends and acquaintances made during this journey
Table of contents
VOLUME I – HISTORICAL & APPENDICES
Author’s Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Establishing Namiki Seisakusho
2. Maki-E art for the West
3. A Union of Sheer Brilliance
Appendicies:
A. Wada Setsuji’s Journal
B. Catalogues and Print Advertising
C. Kokkōkai Artists
D. Maki-e Techniques
E. The Dunhill Paris ‘S’ Ledger
F. Bibliography
VOLUME II – PORTFOLIO
Author’s Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Special Items
2. Vanity Sets
3. Fountain Pens
4. Desk Stands
5. Timepieces
6. Pipes
7. Lighters
8. Humidors
9. Cigarette Cases
Copyright © by Mazin Farouki. Designed and edited by Mazin Farouki. Photography, unless otherwise noted, by Mazin Farouki. Produced by CA Book Publishing, Hong Kong. Printed in Hong Kong, 2024. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from the author. Mazin Farouki asserts his moral right to be identified as author of this book.
The production of the books utilizes offset printing on premium 150 gsm weight paper. Sixteen-page sections are Smyth-sewn, glued, and attached to cloth-covered boards. The 2-volume set in its slipcase is heavy, weighing approx.10lbs. As with all heavy books, to prevent undue stress on the binding and cover while the books are being used, it is recommended that a book stand or a pillow be used.
To purchase, please visit my eBay page (here) or contact me privately (info@stilusaurea.com).
Bibliography
ALFRED DUNHILL LTD.
FOUNTAIN PENS & LIGHTERS