This Maki-e ballpoint pen features the phoenix (ho-o in Japanese), a mythological sacred bird in the lores of China, Japan and other eastern Asian countries. Its beautiful and spectacular figure has been awed from olden times. In Japan, it is used for adornment of paper money and coins.
The "Shi-ji," the historical records of ancient China, recounts that the heavenly god sends the phoenix to the house of the future prince who will rule the country and people wisely. Hence,・・・・・