Tono & Lims - Bara No Souretsu

Tono & Lims - Bara No Souretsu - Ink drop

Today’s ink is from Tono & Lims’ Friendship line. This is Bara No Souretsu. Meaning “funeral parade of roses” in English, the ink takes its name from a 1969 Japanese new wave film directed by Toshio Matsumoto. The groundbreaking film is an adaptation of Oedipus Rex blending art house and documentary elements. A favorite of Stanley Kubrick, it’s thought to have largely influenced A Clockwork Orange.

Tono & Lims - Bara No Souretsu - Color Range

This is a strangely beautiful ink. At first look, you find a delicate, undersaturated rose pink, but the longer you look, the more hints of aged yellows and browns become visible. Like a wilted, pink petal, browning with shades of decay, this ink weeps tears of tragedy. It shades beautifully, particularly on premium papers, and there‘s a modest edge halo, as well. The variation is lovely and ripe with emotion.

Tono & Lims - Bara No Souretsu - Edging

This is a wet ink, and it flows nicely on the page. There was a very slight feathering on Mnemosyne and Rhodia, but strokes were generally clean on most papers. Drying was between 10 and 20 seconds on premiums, and under 5 seconds on office copy.

Tono & Lims - Bara No Souretsu - Ink Swatch Card

Tono & Lims Bara No Souretsu is a beautiful, very interesting ink, and a powerful shader. It’s quite unusual, and a nice writer, as well. Like a funeral parade of roses, the color is rich with a sadness that is difficult to ignore, but sometimes that’s exactly what needs to be celebrated.