Caran d'Ache Year of the Rat Fountain Pen - Handmade Limited Edition of 888.

Caran d'Ache Year of the Rat Fountain Pen - Chinese Zodiac - Gold-Plated - Handmade Limited Edition

$3,625.00

Liimited Edition Chinese calendar fountain pen handmade with hand-engraved long-tailed Rat in blue Chinese lacquer on black gloss Chinese lacquer body. Authenticated by calligraphic rat symbol, the Caran d'Ache Chinese seal applied in red and edition number engraved on body. Gold-plated writing block and trim. 18-carat gold nib.

Item Number: 71305092056

Availability: Made to Order. Contact us for details.

Category: 982

Color Pattern: Black/Gold/Blue

Material: Gold-plated/Lacquer

Chinese Zodiac Pen Collection *

Chinese Zodiac Year of the Rat Gold-Plated Fountain Pen - Medium Nib Chinese Zodiac Year of the Rat Gold-Plated Fountain Pen - Fine Nib Chinese Zodiac Year of the Rat Gold-Plated Fountain Pen - Broad Nib

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Caran d'Ache Chinese Zodiac Year of the Rat Fountain Pen - 18kt Gold Nib
Homage Limited Edition of 888

Year of the Rat Limited Edition, a tribute to the Chinese calendar and the refined arts. Through its Chinese Calendar collection, the Maison Caran d’Ache brings new life to the legends behind the symbols in the Chinese Zodiac. The “Year of the Rat” limited edition is part of this line of exceptional writing instruments, celebrating the Chinese Year of the Rat in 2020.

Continuing the aesthetics of the preceding limited editions dedicated to the symbols of the Chinese zodiac, the "Year of the Rat" revives the splendor of veritable Chinese lacquer.

In keeping with the aesthetics of previous limited editions dedicated to the signs of the Chinese zodiac, the 'Year of the Rat' revives the splendor of genuine Chinese lacquer.

The gentle shape of the Rat appears against a background of black gloss Chinese lacquer, meticulously applied layer by layer using techniques handed down through generations. The finely engraved design shows the animal merrily crouching and with a playful smile. Its long tail wraps like a ribbon gracefully around the writing instrument, and the lines and curls of its body are set off in genuine blue Chinese lacquer This heavenly color comes through from beneath the black Chinese lacquer creating a stunningly refined contrast. The classical Asian design further brings out the rat's lithe body, lending it a vibrant vitality.

The writing instrument has yellow gold finishes, which carry the familiar Caran d'Ache iconography, along with a unique number engraved into the body. As a final flourish, the outline of the rat also features as a pair of miniature engravings on the tip. Gold is a symbol of protection and good omens in Asia, where it represents light and prosperity.

Every writing instrument is authenticated by a calligraphic symbol of the rat and by the Chinese seal of the Maison Caran d'Ache applied in red, as a good luck charm.

The “Year of the Rat” edition is limited to 888 fountain pens in homage to Chinese culture, in which the number “888” is the ultimate sign of good luck.

TYPE OF WRITING INSTRUMENT
Fountain Pen
Dimensions: closed cap 138.4 mm; without cap 125 mm;
cap at the back 160.2 mm

BODY
Body in glossy black polished Chinese lacquer
Rat’s tail in blue lacquer
Calligraphic depiction of the Rat
Caran d’Ache red Chinese seal
“Chinese lacquer” engraved in Chinese on the tip
Ring engraved with Caran d’Ache and Swiss Made logos

WRITING BLOCK
Gold-plated
Two engraved depictions of the Rat

CAP, CLIP, BUTTON
Cap in glossy black polished Chinese lacquer
Rat’s body depicted in blue lacquer
Gold-plated clip and button

FOUNTAIN PEN NIB
18 carat yellow gold nib, hand-polished
Available in size M, other nib sizes available upon request

NUMBERING
Number “xxx/888” engraved on the top of the cap
888: Chinese lucky number and symbol of ultimate balance

CARTRIDGES AND REFILLS
Supplied with two blue ink cartridges
Supplied with a piston pump

LEGAL STANDARDS
Swiss Made

Designed to appeal to the following:
Serious collectors of precious objects and writing instruments
Fans of the “Chinese Calendar”collection
People born in the Chinese Year of the Rat

Year of the Rat

Master Lam Chi Van, THE SIGNATURE OF AUTHENTICITY
Calligraphy characters are highly significant in Chinese culture. They are the ultimate expression of words, of symbolism and of images. To authenticate the calligraphic sign of the rat, applied to every “Year of the Rat” writing instrument, the Maison Caran d’Ache called upon the talents of master artist and calligrapher, Lam Chi Van.

Master Lam Chi Van is a Vietnamese artist of Chinese origin, who specializes in the art of calligraphy, bamboo and watercolors. He lives with his Swiss-born wife in Lausanne and gives lessons in his own workshops. The uniqueness of his vision consists of creating a basis for expression harmoniously blending Eastern and Western art. His works reveal a rigorous sculptural discipline combined with an expressionism, and even a certain lyricism, resulting from keen enthusiasm and ardent vitality.

“Art, in every era, is the link between men, cultures, sensitivities and exchanges. Its language is universal and lies at the heart of human expression. To define it is to minimize it, to judge it, to imprison it. Let it travel through our personal sensitivities by offering it for all to see and allowing ourselves to be attracted or repulsed by some of its forms and colors. Artistic expression leaves no-one indifferent.”

Master Lam Chi Van

IN THE PUREST TRADITION
OF CHINESE LACQUER
Known since the century BC, the art of Chinese lacquer was developed during the reign of the Shang dynasty. The natural material comes from the sap of the Rhus Vernicifera tree, which originates from tropical Asia. Entirely executed by hand, the meticulous successive applications of fine layers of lacquer require infinite patience. The careful polishing of each writing instrument, also done by hand, reveals its incomparable reflections with this final touch.

The mastery of this ancestral technique and the vast expertise in the realm of precision engraving enables master craftsmen of the Maison Caran d'Ache to achieve designs of incredible freedom while retaining the integrity of the lacquered surface. This means they can bring out the elegant form of the rat in blue Chinese lacquer; creating an elegant contrast with the deep black of the Chinese lacquer that covers the writing instrument.

SYMBOL OF HAPPINESS
The "'Year of the Rat" limited edition is designed for fans of sophisticated objets d'art and collectors of all cultures. It is produced as 888 fountain pens and 888 roller pens, each of which is numbered. A symbol of prosperity and balance, the number 8 is a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture. Bearing the auspicious symbol of the rat, the pen promises a creative and harmonious year ahead for anyone lucky enough to own it.

The creators of the Maison Caran d'Ache have designed an elegant box especially dedicated to the limited "Year of the Rat" edition. Produced in wood covered in black lacquer, it matches the style of the precious writing instruments that it houses.

This " Year of the Rat" limited edition bears the "Chinese Lacquer" seal, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity certifying the use of this highly sophisticated material.