For anyone interested in simple pleasures, you have no doubt encountered the joy of backgammon. A handsome sport – black and white tiles, a striped board – the game itself reminds me of Italian grandparents and young downtown intellectuals alike. It’s a game that’s been played, by some accounts, for over 4500 years. It’s about time it’s gotten its due.
And who better to do it than Visconti? While Visconti may not have the out-of-this-world craftsmanship of its Italian neighbor, Montegrappa, it’s no less situated to do a backgammon-themed pen justice. With a focus on interpretation rather than reimagination, the Visconti Backgammon has the perfect balance of homage and creativity to grab the essence of the game within the real estate of a pen.
Available in fountain pen and rollerball, the Backgammon is made from a 925 sterling silver oversized body with alternating black and red enamel triangles to mimic the game board. The nib is made from 18-karat gold while the filling system features a Power Filler double reservoir with a screw-lock closure.
Most interesting about this pen is that there are two blind cap options: one featuring a small modeled die and one without. A feature that some may think is endearing to the gentlemanly game itself while others may opt for the more traditional (and presumably post-able) option without dice. Personally, I would go with the latter, as the no-die option features an intricate enamel detailing which has a cleaner, fresher look to it.
For both the rollerball and fountain pen, only 128 pens were made of each. The fountain pen retails for €4800 and the rollerball retails for €4600.
