2023 marks another successful year for the writing instrument industry with brands unveiling some of their most spectacular collections of writing instruments to the delight of collectors and fans. Montblanc marked a new chapter with its Masters of Art series, Graf von Faber-Castell dedicated its Pen of the Year to Ancient Egypt and Visconti presented a limited edition inspired by Asian culture. To round off the year on a high note, I’m glad to introduce you to a masterpiece of only 20 copies worldwide. Launched on the occasion of the Chinese New Year and inspired by the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac, the new ‘Straw Marquetry Dragon’ Limited Edition produced by Caran d’Ache is an exquisite marriage of straw marquetry, Chinese lacquer, and 18-carat gold.
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is one of the most significant and widely celebrated festivals in Chinese culture. It marks the beginning of the lunar new year and usually falls between January 21 and February 20. It is a time for family reunions, expressing good wishes, and celebrating new beginnings.
While many brands are aligning their marketing campaigns to the occasion, Caran d’Ache has chosen to stand out from the crowd by launching a limited edition in collaboration with renowned French artisan Agnès Paul-Depasse. Known for her impressive straw marquetry work for clients such as Hermes, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin, the artist accepted the Swiss brand’s challenge and embarked on an artistic journey decorating 20 writing instruments using her signature technique.
The origins of straw marquetry are often linked to France during the reign of Louis XIV (1638-1715). The technique is thought to have been developed in response to the high demand for luxury goods and the shortage of certain materials. Straw, being a commonly available and inexpensive material, was used as a substitute for more expensive materials such as exotic woods and metals. The popularity of this technique declined in the 19th century as other decorative techniques and materials came into fashion. However, today straw marquetry has experienced a resurgence in popularity as a unique and environmentally friendly decorative art form.
Similar to wood marquetry, straw marquetry is distinguished by its texture, flexibility, color variation, and light reflection. What makes this technique highly appreciated and rare today is both the way of production (rye straw is harvested by hand and is currently supplied by a single producer worldwide, located in Burgundy, France) and decorating (there are very few artists who master this art).
The harvesting process is followed by the painting process where individual pieces of straw are hot dyed for several hours in colored baths. None are alike, which gives each piece a unique appearance. It takes the precision of a watchmaker to fix every tiny piece to the design and the process can take considerable time, with one square meter taking a full week of work. “To apply straw marquetry on a cylindrical body is a true challenge”, the artist explained about the decorating process.
From cutting and flattening the straw to applying the nearly one hundred scales on the pen, one by one, it took the French artist nearly 25 hours to create each writing instrument.
Agnès Paul-Depasse’s straw marquetry is further enhanced by the deep black Chinese lacquer applied by Caran d’Ache craftsmen in several layers as well as the 18k gold elements. Both the fountain pen and rollerball Straw Marquetry LE have a diameter of 15,5mm and measure 141 mm in length with a weight of 61g, making them suitable for most users in terms of both size and weight. Each writing instrument features the “xx/20” numbering engraved on the end of the cap and one has to contact the Caran d’Ache customer service about availability.
Caran d’Ache Straw Marquetry Dragon LE Fountain Pen: CHF 27’000.00
Caran d’Ache Straw Marquetry Dragon LE Rollerball Pen: CHF 25’000.00
The dragon figure on each of the 20 units that have been produced is designed by Jean-Philippe Kalonji, renowned artist and Caran d’Ache ambassador.
In addition to the Straw Marquetry edition, Caran d’Ache is launching the Dragon Limited Edition in red Chinese lacquer and gold bearing the same dragon illustration of Jean-Philippe Kalonji, this time limited to 888 individually numbered pieces. The red and gold color scheme wasn’t chosen at random as it symbolizes luck and success, nor was the number 888 which in Chinese culture is the ultimate lucky number.
Caran d’Ache Dragon 888 LE Fountain Pen: CHF 1’800.00
Caran d’Ache Dragon 888 LE Rollerball Pen: CHF 1’500.00
Collectors are invited to take a look at these editions on carandache.com or contact Caran d’Ache customer service for more information about availability.
Of all the spectacular editions I’ve seen lately, this collection captured my imagination. It’s impressive to see how far Caran d’Ache has pushed its boundaries to make a jewel-like writing instrument spending . This shows me the brand’s commitment to innovation, but also its determination to remain at the forefront of the industry. Chapeau!
