Fine Vintage Japanese Watercolor/ Ink Pigment Sticks Set

Yum! These make me happy just to look at, so pretty. When I found them, I thought they were pastels or wax crayons, but they are in fact pure pigment watercolor sticks, which one can directly apply a wet brush to, or break into pieces to use in a pan. In Japan these are used for watercolor painting, sumi-e painting, etc. Very long lasting (from what I understand, each stick is equivalent to 3-4 watercolor pans), and from what I've found online, sets of this size run from about $150-$200 or so.

Box measures 6 1/4" x 2 3/4" x 3/4". Never used, though I did test the end of one. Excellent condition.