Kin Shoujou gold leaf doll inkstick ( 金猩々 )

Kin Shoujou takes its name from two elements: Kin (金), gold, and Shoujou (猩々), a legendary monkey — and takes its shape from something else entirely, the traditional "Nara Itto-bori" carved wooden dolls that have been passed down for generations in Nara Prefecture, where Kobaien itself is based.

Made from the smoke of the finest canola oil, refined into ultra-fine particles and finished in gold leaf, this is very much a functional inkstick underneath its sculptural form.

Kobaien uses gold leaf for three reasons: beauty, preservation — gold doesn't corrode, so it helps protect the ink's quality over time — and practicality, since gold particles are said to help calligraphers achieve smoother, softer lines, particularly suited to kuzushiji, Japan's flowing cursive script.

At 30mm wide, 51.2mm long, 17.8mm thick, and 70 grams, it has real presence in the hand, whether you grind it down for use or simply display it as a small sculpture on your desk between painting sessions.

A rare kind of object: a piece of Nara folk art that's also, quite literally, a working ingredient of the artwork it might help you create.