Visconti Gold Forbidden City Limited Edition Fountain Pen

Description: Visconti Gold Forbidden City Limited Edition Fountain Pen The fountain pen is new and unused, carefully vault kept. When being shipped from the manufacturer, the presentation box suffered some unfortunate damage on one of its corners. Please review the last photograph in the listing to view the damage. - Red mother-of-pearl resin overlay with 18kt solid gold metals - Power filler filling mechanism - Limited edition of 88 fountain pens, this pen is engraved #32/88 The Forbidden City in Beijing, China, was the legendary home to the Chinese imperial family for more than 500 years, and it is so named because it was closed to all but the royal family and those in their service. Today, the elaborate complex of palaces and gardens - one of the greatest achievements in Chinese architecture and culture - is open to provide inspiration for all, which lately includes more than one penmaker. One of these tributes to the Forbidden City, by Italian Visconti, turns conventional overlay inside out. Designed by Visconti president Dante Del Vecchio and designer M. Carla Benedetti, the Visconti Forbidden City was seven years in development, and Del Vecchio reveals, "The final result has almost nothing to do with the initial drafts, discussions and prototypes." The most unusual feature of the pen is its resin overlay. Rather than a typical metal overlay on resin, Del Vecchio instead turned things inside out with resin overlaying a finely engraved metal base. The design grid of the resin overlay recalls the layout of the Forbidden City as seen from above. The design creates "cages," which are also symbolic of the sense of isolation connected to the site, even today. The cages house mythical beings prominent in Chinese culture. The tiny figures are created with the lost wax process in sterling vermeil. The original concept was based on Del Vecchio's idea for the miniature sculptures, recreating figures from the Forbidden City. Benedetti then gave life to his ideas in drawings. Says Del Vecchio, "Through the cage, we see the gods - the dragon, phoenix, and lion - reproduced in ways that correspond to images in the Forbidden City." IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: If the item is being shipped outside the United States of America, we are not responsible for the duties and taxes you must pay your government to receive the item. Please check with your country's customs office to determine these additional costs prior to purchasing. Please do not ask us to misrepresent the selling price of your purchase for a lower amount. To ensure both buyer and seller protection, we will list the actual eBay selling price, which is consistent with both eBay Policy and in compliance with standard Customs Declaration procedures. If choosing to use the USPS Priority Mail shipping service outside of the U.S please be advised; it has been our experience that during the Holiday Seasons and depending on your country's Postal Service, it can take up to a month or more for delivery of your package. The tracking capability is limited compared to the more expensive alternative UPS. If time is of the essence we would recommend UPS. International shipping exclusions apply, please check the shipping and payments section to learn if your country falls under these exclusions. For additional shipping services and rates, please contact us. We have successfully been in business for 45 Years and take great pride in our customer service. If you have any questions or just simply want to talk about pens, do not hesitate to contact us! We are available by Monday - Friday from 10:00am - 5:00pm MST. We check our eBay messages daily and will respond as quickly as possible!

Price: 49800 USD

Location: El Paso, Texas

End Time: 2025-01-31T00:29:47.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD