THE SPECIAL EDITION "PEN OF THE YEAR"

A special meaning is awarded to the "Pen fo the year" edition, which is characterized by extraordinary materials and manufacturing procedures. These exclusive writing implements are each manufactured for only one year and sold in a small edition. As "Pen of the year 2004", we present a fountain pen that makes use of the fascinating features of amber.

AMBER...THE MATERIAL THAT MYTHS ARE MADE OF

Amber has long since inspired the imagination of mankind. Thus, antique myths tell the story of how, after the death of the solar god's son Phaeton, his mourning sisters transformed into black poplars and their tears into amber.

There is a core of truth in those legends. Approximately 45 million years ago, subtropical forests covered the contemporary Baltic States. Tree resisns dripped onto the ground, deposited, consolidated and transformed to amber. Amber, that is mostly gleaming in a bright or golden yellow, reminds us of the sun. The sometimes dark and sometimes bright but always warm colour lends the stone its special beauty. Moreover, the stone is inflammable which led to its German name "Bernstein" that is derived from an ancient word "bern" for "burning".

From the earliest history of mankind, amber was used as jewelry. In the 17 and 18th century in Europe, amber was a national treasure of which the Electors of Kings of Brandenburg-Prussia were almost exclusively in charge. They had manufactured artistic goods and extravagant state presents, among others the famous Amber Room that was handed over to Czar Peter the Great by the Prussian King Friedrich Willhelm I.

 

THE ART OF WORKING WITH AMBER

Amber with its various colours offers a vast range of creativity that has always inspired artists, artisans and architects to create amazing products. The undisputed highlight is the legendary Amber Room.

From 1701 to 1711, the Prussian King Friedrich I, ordered the most famous amber turners of that time to manufacture the Room's valuable wall paneling. He almost ruined the state finances with his "most expensive wallpaper in the world". Later, his son and successor Friedrich Willhelm I gave Peter the Great the Amber Room as a present. In 1755, this architectural masterpiece was installed in the Catherine Palace near St Petersburd by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli and it was soon called the "eighth wonder of the world". The Amber Room has been missing fromt the Second World on.

In order to recreate this showpiece in its old splendor, the best artists and architects were selected in Russia. In the museum workshop of the Catherine Palace they have revived many ancient complicated artistic methods of processing and manufacturing and hav thus brilliantly reconstructed the Amber Room.

Faber-Castell was able to use this rich and valuable knowledge for the amber fountain pen of their Graf von Faber-Castell collection.

 

 

 

 

 

Retail Price: $350 Retail Price: $295

Immediately striking at the new fountain pen are the amber rings of the barrel that present a first-class handicraft and technical challenge. Who else than the Amber Room's restorers could better master this challenge!

It was the master craftsman and head of the workshop, Boris Igdalov, who personally took care of the creation of this fountain pen and who thus created a new work of art that competes with craftsmanship and love of details of the artistic inlay and carvings of the Amber Room.

All amber rings are individually processes, polished and combined with platinized rings on site. There is a fascinating interplay between two materials that is repeated in total between the platinum-plated cap and the amber barrel; here precious metal, there an "organic" jewelry stone, here permanent coolness, there warm colours, here clarity, there shimmering-glimmering aura.

Apart from this interplay, it is mainly the high-quality craftsmanship, the individual grain of the amber rings and their different colours that make every fountain pen a unique piece of personal value - and an ideal present for other or for oneself.

Dimensions