{"product_id":"taccia-ukiyoi-e-bengara","title":"Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Bengara - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sold as \"red ochre\", but my swatches are browner and deeper than that name suggests. In writing it is a warm brick to rust brown. Where the ink pools it goes very dark, almost black-chocolate, with orange-rust edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, clearly visible in handwriting. It moves from a light rust in thin strokes to a deep brown where the ink collects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e A subtle dark sheen appears only in heavily pooled areas. I saw none in normal writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit: \u003c\/strong\u003eBengara is the Japanese name for red iron-oxide pigment. The word is usually traced to Bengal, the region it was historically imported from. The same earth red was used in Edo-period woodblock prints and to colour timber buildings. This ink is from Taccia's fourth Ukiyo-e release, launched in Japan in spring 2026. It is one of eight colours drawn from Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, and its colour was supervised by colour consultant Hanae Matsumoto.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TACCIA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266211291462,"sku":"INK-022","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Taccia-Bengara3.jpg?v=1789844184","url":"https:\/\/thepensmuggler.co.uk\/products\/taccia-ukiyoi-e-bengara","provider":"The Pen Smuggler","version":"1.0","type":"link"}