VISCONTI FORBIDDEN BLUE VERMEIL FOUNTAIN PEN LIMITED EDITION OF 888 M NIB

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 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.”