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A rare and interesting hand-made fountain pen decorated in raised takamaki-e with a falcon on a tree bough, alert and poised to strike. The pen is unsigned but almost certainly from the celebrated Ban-Ei workshop, as it bears the same body style and "Steady" nib with correct feed that one associates with the workshop, and the high level of workmanship is consistent with Ban-Ei in the 1950s and 1960s. However, while one typically sees Ban-Ei pens of this era in plain black or vermillion lacquer, or with kamakura bori ornamentation, very few maki-e examples exist. 

The pen is oversized (133mm long, 16mm diameter), with 14K rolled gold clip, cap band and captop and endpiece ornaments.  Piston-filler. No. 4 14K gold Steady heart-vent nib, slight flex. Excellent condition, not tested internally. A remarkable pen.