Meisterstück Calligraphy A Tribute to Fine Chinese Craftsmanship Limited Edition 88 Fountain Pen Curved Nib

Chinese calligraphy encompasses a complex world of beauty and cultural history. Originating in Bronze Age China around 5,000 years ago, it is one of the oldest written languages in the world. Since the beginnings of Chinese writing lie so far back in the mists of time, legends explaining how such a miracle occurred have become woven into the fabric of Chinese cultural tradition. In these origin myths, of which there are many versions, the tale always revolves around Cangjie, who is credited with germinating the very idea of a written language. The Montblanc Meisterstück Calligraphy Limited Edition 88 expresses the wonder of the Cangjie story through the traditional Chinese craft of bamboo weaving and the ‘stone of heaven’, green jade. Lush forests of bamboo bring a green serenity to the Chinese landscape. Standing in such a forest, one is enveloped by the colour of green jade in living form. The cap top evokes the spirit of this cherished plant with a field of green jade surrounding the Montblanc emblem in mother-of-pearl. Because bamboo is not only beautiful, but also useful, it has been used since ancient times to craft all manner of everyday objects ranging from vessels for storage, dining and cooking, to furniture, screens, mats and more. The art of bamboo weaving is therefore centuries old and extremely sophisticated. Masters of the craft can weave wafer-thin bamboo filaments into dazzlingly intricate works of art. In celebration of this heritage, the solid Au 750 gold cap is masterfully decorated with a detailed pattern that makes the surface appear to be woven out of bamboo. Legend has it that before Cangjie invented writing, imperial officials had to rely on a method of knotted ropes to keep track of records, laws and finances. As the court historian, Cangjie was asked by the Yellow Emperor to develop a more efficient system of handling the vast administrative burden of the empire. In order to achieve a breakthrough, however, Cangjie needed a little nudge from a magical helper. One day, as he sat by a river thinking about the problem, a phoenix flew overhead. When the phoenix dropped a hoofprint onto the soft riverbank at Cangjie’s feet, he was struck by inspiration. Just as every living creature leaves behind a distinct footprint, Cangjie realized he could assign a distinct, written mark to identify everything in the world. That was the mythical beginning of the Chinese written language. The solid Au 750 gold curved nib bears a delicate engraving of a phoenix as a tribute to the magical animal who opened the door to the art of writing in Cangjie’s mind. All types of expression are possible with the curved nib. Depending on the angle of the nib on the paper, different line widths can be created. When Cangjie created the foundations of Chinese calligraphy, one thing that helped him was his special power of observation. Endowed at birth with two pairs of eyes, Cangjie was well equipped to notice the details that made one animal different from another, for example. He translated what he saw into written characters representing every element of the world around him. The jade inlays on the clip evoke the legendary four eyes that enabled Cangjie to initiate a rich, new era of Chinese written culture. Although Cangjie is a mythical figure originating from the 27th century B.C. and therefore no real portrait of him exists, he is so important to Chinese tradition that his image is well established in Chinese art through the ages. His four eyes make him instantly recognisable, as well as the cloak of leaves he is wearing. This cloak is the inspiration for the pattern engraved on the green jade barrel of the Limited Edition 88. Cangjie’s leaves express the significance of nature in the origin story of Chinese calligraphy. Celebrating the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy, the 28 characters engraved on the solid Au 750 gold cone are believed to be the first Chinese characters ever written and the source of today’s modern written Chinese.