Fumiaki Goto has designed these elegant drawing vessels inspired by the most basic element of the pencil: the lead. Pencil lead is a type of ceramic, therefore Goto has fittingly designed a vessel made of pencil lead. The process of creating the vessel is part factory manufacturing and part art. The vessel is made with the same recipe as pencil lead-part ceramic and part graphite-but it is baked using the traditional methods for ceramics.

The design allows the user to hold the white end and draw with the darkened point. The gradient look is visually appealing and highly functional. Holding the white end of the vessel ensures that the user’s hand won’t dirty from the graphite. Each vessel comes with its own little stand. The stand allows the contents of the vessel to stay in place and keeps the graphite from marking unwanted areas.

I find this design elegant and inventive. Each delicate vessel is a work of art and a tool used in the creation of art. I imagine drawing with this object is a unique experience. Surely the distinct placement of the vessel in one’s hand will change the gesture of the line drawn. And the shape ensures I will always have a place to store my eraser.