Parker Sonnet Chinese Laque Pens

[antoniosz]

I got today a Sonnet that I was missing from my collection. The Vison Chinese Laque. These are chinese laque Sonnets, not chinese Sonnets ...

They are the most beautiful versions of the Sonnet. The lighter one is called Amber Chinese Laque, while the darker is the Vison Chinese Laque.

It takes a much better photographer to do justice to these pens but anywhy here they are.

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/azavalia/Sonnet/chinese-laque2.JPG

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/azavalia/Sonnet/chinese-laque1.JPG

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/azavalia/Sonnet/chinese-laque3.JPG

 

 

AZ

[Skyp]

my sonnet has tiny chinese writing on it. Any idea what the characters mean?

skyp

[Taki]

Beutiful pens, Antonios. I especially like the lighter color one.

 

Skyp, I may be able to help you if you can post a photo (or may be Free Citizen is a better person). Are the characters the same as Antonios'? The first two characters are "nature" and the second one is "come(s)". I can't see the fourth one very well, but I think it was in Paul Erano's book. In that book the last character was "origin". I'm not sure how to interpret, though. Is it "The nature comes to the origin", FC?

[Taki]

I just did google search with those characters, and it looks like it means "natural origin", the opposite of artificial or man made. No wonder I got a C in my Chinese class

Edited November 23, 2004 by Taki

[Free Citizen]

Sorry guys,

 

You may be shocked to know but about the only kanji characters I know is my name. You see, my father sent me to English school. No matter, I may still be able to help if you could post an image of the characters. It need not be the actual image of it on the pen but a duplicate in your hand scrawl will be fine. I can ask my wife to help. She is Chinese educated you see. If she is stumped, I still have several good Chinese dics. Though I do not know written Chinese but I do know how to look them up. I am sure Taki is armed with that too

 

BTW antoniosz, you are right that the pics do not do justice to the darker lacque. I have seen the real pen and it is very beautiful. I like it better than the Amber Gold Dust. I wonder if Bill R. can give us pointers on how best to bring out the colours on such pens Nevertheless, good effort antoniosz

Edited November 23, 2004 by Free Citizen

[Stylophiles]

Nice pens! About all you can do with any lacquer finish is make sure you have a lot of light. It takes good lighting to bring out the depth in the finish. The trouble is that the lacquer is a smooth shiny surface, which makes getting enough light without creating blown out highlights very tough. I love the challenge of shooting maki-e pens, but they are among the most difficult to get the lighting "just right" with. If I recall right, these Sonnets would hvae a similar finish?

 

In any case, they are gorgeous looking pens, especially the lighter one! A duofold Centennial in that finish.... Well, it's probably best for my budget that they don't!

 

BR

[Free Citizen]

A duofold Centennial in that finish.... Well, it's probably best for my budget that they don't!

 

BR

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for the pointers. Although we would love to see a sample of the technique you described. BTW, there is a Duofold Centennial in maki-e finish. Just go to http://www.pengallery.com/ and turn to Home > Pens > Parker Pens > Limited Edition. The Parker Duofold Maple Tree Asia Limited Edition Makie is priced at $US 1,820.00

[Taki]

Hi FC, I'm sorry I just assumed that you knew Kanji. I grew up in Japan and went through Japanese school system (there is no English school, really...we learn English from 7th grade but I don't think most of my English teachers spoke English ) so I know my Kanji's and I can tell meaning of it and how to read in in Japanese. However, I have no clue how to pronounce it in Chinese - I was really bad at four tones, which changes meaning of the sound....I hear Cantonese has even more..nine tones :ph34r: Also same characters sometimes have different meanings in Japanese and Chinese, especially the simplified ones. For example, A kanji that means a "machine" in Mainland China means a "desk" in Japanese. So the word "airplaine" in simplified characters looks like "flying desk" in Japanese

Edited November 23, 2004 by Taki

[Leslie J.]

Beautiful pics and pens! I would love either one. I think the darker one is probably very striking in person.

[mchristi]

Also same characters sometimes have different meanings in Japanese and Chinese, especially the simplified ones. For example, A kanji that means a "machine" in Mainland China means a "desk" in Japanese. So the word "airplaine" in simplified characters looks like "flying desk" in Japanese

I rather like the idea of "flying desks" for some reason.

[Taki]

I rather like the idea of "flying desks" for some reason.  

Yeah, I always imagine a desk with a set of wings when I think about it

 

That reminded me of "Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer" ("The Flying Classroom"?) by Erich Kastner. Did you guys read it as a kid?

 

Anyways, again they are very beautiful pens.

Edited November 23, 2004 by Taki

[Free Citizen]

Also same characters sometimes have different meanings in Japanese and Chinese, especially the simplified ones. For example, A kanji that means a "machine" in Mainland China means a "desk" in Japanese. So the word "airplaine" in simplified characters looks like "flying desk" in Japanese

I have always wondered how that came about. One day I must do a research on this. If it means that I have to learn the language, so be it. How the Chinese Characters evolved over the millennia is well documented. But how did the meaning get changed in Japan is very much a mystery to me. I have asked this many times, both whom have learned the Chinese and Japanese languages but none is able to give me an answer. One day I shall find out

[Guest Denis Richard]

How the Chinese Characters evolved over the millennia is well documented. But how did the meaning get changed in Japan is very much a mystery to me.

I think this is true for every language. It was very interesting when I lived in Montreal, to see the different evolutions of the French language as spoken in France and in French Canada (Quebec).

 

For example, a "cartable" is a children school bag in France, but a folder in Quebec. It originally designated a leather folfder where maps ("cartes") where stored. This one was easy, but some other are rather misterious.

 

The length of time since French and Quebecois were separated is nothing compared to China and Japan, so I can easily imagine how far appart meanings can drift.

[jimbro]

I just did google search with those characters, and it looks like it means "natural origin", the opposite of artificial or man made. No wonder I got a C in my Chinese class

Taki is right, of course.

I just found this very old thread.

I have a slightly clearer photo of the characters (I have the same pens).

 

 

Calligraphy students please excuse my poor scrawl..

The deeper question for Parker is:

What does "Natural Origin" really mean?

Were these pens "grown" organically somehow?

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2009 by jimbro

[Renzhe]

How the Chinese Characters evolved over the millennia is well documented. But how did the meaning get changed in Japan is very much a mystery to me.

I think this is true for every language. It was very interesting when I lived in Montreal, to see the different evolutions of the French language as spoken in France and in French Canada (Quebec).

 

For example, a "cartable" is a children school bag in France, but a folder in Quebec. It originally designated a leather folfder where maps ("cartes") where stored. This one was easy, but some other are rather misterious.

 

The length of time since French and Quebecois were separated is nothing compared to China and Japan, so I can easily imagine how far appart meanings can drift.

 

This particular case isn't a matter of drift. 机 means "desk" in Chinese too, but in the PRC is often substituted for 機, which means "machine."

[Izzy]

I'm marvelling at all your language skills, I have enough problems with my native English :roflmho:

[Scott Searer]

I just did google search with those characters, and it looks like it means "natural origin", the opposite of artificial or man made. No wonder I got a C in my Chinese class

This is Scott in Beijing, a new member who has yet to introduce myself...the last character is unclear; the first three (top to bottom) are 'zi4' self; 'ran2' like; 'lai2'...to come (from)....zi-ran in modern Chinese is a 'Nature' with a capital N. Literally 'self-like', and what is more naturatural than something that is like itself?....can we get nother shot of the bottom character?

[jimbro]

I just did google search with those characters, and it looks like it means "natural origin", the opposite of artificial or man made. No wonder I got a C in my Chinese class

This is Scott in Beijing, a new member who has yet to introduce myself...the last character is unclear; the first three (top to bottom) are 'zi4' self; 'ran2' like; 'lai2'...to come (from)....zi-ran in modern Chinese is a 'Nature' with a capital N. Literally 'self-like', and what is more naturatural than something that is like itself?....can we get nother shot of the bottom character?

The bottom character really is 'yuan2', making the final word 'lai2yuan2', which translates as "origin" in English according to The New Age Chinese-English Dictionary (ISBN 7-100-02717-9, The Commercial Press), which I picked up in Beijing in 2007 at the Foreign Languages Bookstore on Wangfujing Dajie (next to the Dunkin' Donuts shop, which I thought was hilarious...) :roflmho:

 

It is an excellent dictionary that I strongly recommend. The price is marked at 185 yuan on the back of the book. For those who love books, the Foreign Languages Bookstore is like a candy store..

 

Liulichang Jie, if you haven't found it yet, is a little street lined with shops devoted to the Chinese treasures of writing: notebooks, paper, ink, brushes, inkstones, misc. antiques (a few genuine). It is a few blocks south of the Hepingmen Subway stop, I think. But I don't remember seeing any fountain pens...

Edited March 22, 2009 by jimbro