The Valhalla Collection is the ninth in the
David Oscarson series of Limited Edition writing instruments.
Produced in three color variations, each will be limited to
production of 88 pieces (including fountain pens and roller
balls).
From the Bronze Age to medieval times, Viking
mythology was the religion of Scandinavia. Today, legends
of the Vikings are present in all cultures as a result of
their ability to travel and plunder, leaving their marks across
the face of Europe and the known world. Known for their 'longships'
and crude weaponry, the Vikings also developed a crude runic
alphabet, seen chiseled into huge granite rocks, called rune
stones; they can be seen across most of modern-day Europe.
Valhalla (Valhöll) literally translated
means 'Hall of the Slain" and is in essence a Viking
heaven, or 'Otherworld' into which Viking warriors pass upon
leaving this life. It is a great structure much like
a Roman Coliseum with 640 doorways, through each of
which 960 champions can march shoulder to shoulder. Its rafters
are spear shafts and its tiles are shields of gold. Here,
fallen champions spend all day gaming and fighting one another
in battle. At the end of the day, the dead and wounded are
all healed, so they can spend the night feasting on the flesh
of a boar whose flesh never diminishes and drinking from the
udders of a magic goat.
In Valhalla, three Viking gods prevail: the
Nordic Trinity, Odin, Thor and Frey.
Odin, 'God of the Slain' and 'All-Father' lives
throughout all ages ruling his kingdom absolutely, governing
all things great and small. He fashioned Heaven and Earth
and is also credited for creating Man and giving him an immortal
spirit 'which shall never perish though the body crumble to
dust or burn to ashes'. Odin is also the patron god of poetry
and one of his poems slithers in the form of a serpent in
high relief on the cap of the Valhalla Collection. Literally
translated from runic script, the poem reads 'he who would
read the sacred runes is wise to waste no words'. Odin's name
is the basis for our modern day Wednesday (Odinsdag).
Thor is of course the God of Thunder. He is
the guardian of the world both of gods and men. His
mighty hammer Mjöllnir is a short-handled weapon (the
dwarf who forged it was interrupted in his work by a gnat
stinging him on the eyelid). Named after lightning, or literally
' a thunderbolt' it can be swung or thrown, and will always
return to his hand like a boomerang. It is with this weapon
that Thor maintains the stability of the world and keeps forces
of chaos in check. Thor's name is the basis for our modern
day Thursday (Thorsdag).
Frey is the god of fertility. He is the noblest
of gods. He controls the rain and sunshine and therefore the
natural increase of the earth and it is good to call upon
him for fruitful seasons and for peace; he also controls the
good fortunes of men. Frey was the paramount god of the Swedes
and revered as the divine ancestor of their kings. Frey is
said to have built the great temple at Uppsala (just north
of Stockholm) when he made it his chief seat and the Swedes
made sacrifices to him at weddings: 'He bestows peace and
pleasure on mortals'. In Norse mythology, Frey is remembered
as a symbol of the divine marriage between the sky and the
earth that produces Spring. (His twin sister, Freyja, is the
most excellent of the goddesses and was the mistress of Odin
for a time. Her name is the basis for our modern-day Friday.)
In contrast to the crude art of the Viking era,
the Valhalla Collection is portrayed in the technical expertise
of Guilloché engraving and the artistic mastery of
Hard Enamel. The Collection incorporates three levels of Guilloché
and three colors of translucent and opaque hard enamel on
each Collection piece.
Guilloché
Hand-crafted from 18-karat gold and .925 Sterling
Silver, each precious metal component passes through multiple
stages of precision engraving, creating an intricate pattern
known as guilloché; a painstaking process which brings
life and light to the surface of precious metals.
The Medieval design of this Limited Edition
requires three separate stages of engraving. The entire body
of the pen is first cut down to the level of the background,
leaving the outlines of the rune stone and longship in high
relief. The wave and granite patterns are then engraved onto
the surface of the body of the pen. The third stage of engraving
applies the smaller serpent motif to the surface of the granite;
the larger serpent remaining raised in high relief.
Hard Enamel
Using a mortar and pestle, a composition of
glass, water and metal oxides is ground for hours by hand.
When settled, the water is removed, leaving the fine paste
that is the basis for hard enamel. A quill is then used to
apply each coat of the mixture to the surface of the metal,
ensuring that the entire guilloché area is completely
covered in enamel. The components are then fired in a furnace
at temperatures exceeding 1,000° F, fusing the enamel
to the metal and forming a layer of glass.
After cooling, the pieces are manually ground
with a diamond file, restoring their proper shape and surface.
This tedious process is repeated at length until the level
of enamel reaches the depth required to cover the peaks and
fill the valleys of each intricate guilloché pattern.
When the final stages of firing are completed, the pieces
are polished and buffed, revealing the velvet finish of translucent
and opaque hard enamel.
Production of translucent hard enamel demands
the highest levels of patience, experience and skill. A five-year
apprenticeship is required to ensure that the highest levels
of quality will be met in each individual Collection piece.
Filling System
The Valhalla Collection's unique filling system
accommodates a cartridge, converter or eyedropper fill; a
series of seals and "O" rings prevents the ink from
leaving the chamber at any point. A roller ball version of
the Trio is also available.
Engineered in Heidelberg, Germany, the 18-karat
gold nib is unsurpassed in quality and form. Coupled with
an ebonite feeder, each nib is plated with rhodium and tipped
with iridium to ensure durability in fine, medium and broad
sizes.
