Snake, Kobaien's new year's commemorate inkstick 招福墨・蛇

Shoufukuboku — call (招) good luck (福) into an inkstick (墨) — is Kobaien's yearly nod to the Chinese zodiac, and this edition carries the Snake. Snake years include 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025, and in Chinese astrology snakes are traditionally described as clever, curious, wise, and quietly calculating — a mix of charm and sharp instinct.

In East Asia, objects bearing the zodiac motif are often given as good-luck gifts, and this inkstick continues that custom, working its emblem for the year into soot and glue rather than paper or metal.

At 42mm wide, 102mm long, 12mm thick, and 91 grams, it has enough heft to sit well in the hand for grinding, while doubling easily as a shelf piece for anyone collecting Kobaien's yearly editions.

One reviewer summed it up simply: "Pervading excellence, as per usual." Whether you were born in a Snake year, know someone who was, or simply like the idea of a little charm worked into your ink, this is a compact, well-made way to bring some luck to the writing desk.

SIZE: 4.5 (W:42mm L:102mm T:12mm WGT:91grams)