The rising sun is a ball of fire, illuminating the dawn in primordial shades of red. A rumbling emanates from the depths of the sea. The Dragon of Good Fortune arises. In the pre-dawn light, its scales reflect golden hues. Its eyes look like beads of coral. Its well-worn wings are almost impossible to discern among the sinuous curves of the Dragon's long body. With a roar, the Dragon lifts itself, and with just a few beats of its wings, defying the conventional laws of physics, the Dragon of Good Fortune flies, bringing good fortune and luck to us all in 2024.
At least, that is one interpretation of the scene on the AP Limited Editions Connoisseur fountain pen on this issue's cover, Dragon of Good Fortune. It is a fountain pen that encapsulates the 18-year-long journey of Anuj and Smita Poddar.
In 2006, Anuj Poddar, along with his wife and AP Limited Editions' co-founder Smita, turned his love of fine pens and Eastern art into a business venture, and a risky one at that: introducing a Western audience to the most refined techniques in Japanese maki-e on the body of an exceptionally crafted fountain pen.
"Launching AP Limited Editions was the natural progress of my passion," Anuj reflects, noting that he spent over two years exploring and experimenting with different techniques and maki-e artisans before launching his brand in February 2006 at the Los Angeles International Pen Show.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av PEN WORLD.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av PEN WORLD.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Show Your Summer Style
The newest Visconti Homo Sapiens, Iris Garden, is a tribute to the beautiful irises that bloom each spring in Florence, Italy's Iris Garden.
Good Made Better Keeps Getting Better
SUZANNE C. LEE tests Dan Keller's wood and metal reading and writing accessories and finds her childhood dream desk come to fruition.
Layers of Talent: River City Pen Company
With his skills in design and eye for details, Rich Paul crafts pens that are as beautiful as they are functional.
Fathoming the Unfathomable
The new Kanilea Pen Co. Blue Moana fountain pen and Mau Loa cap band are inspired by the ocean's depths and universal interconnectivity.
Truphae: Flexibility Is Key
This young pen shop is writing a new chapter in retail pen sales by finding unique ways to foster community.
"Winter Counts:" Transforming Non-fiction into Fiction
Creative writing typically blends what we know and experience with what we invent and imagine.
Swivodex, Sailors, and the Plastic Revolution: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part V
The end of World War II ushered in a new era, with plastics technology opening the way to better and less costly products of all sorts.
The Mystery of the Purloined Parkers
What do G-men, mobsters, and tampons have in common? The two most epic fountain pen heists in history.
The Other Articles of Impeachment
\"Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to keep silent, on pain of imprisonment...\"
The Road to Recovery
A recent trip to Wajima, Japan, by TACCIA's Shu-Jen Lin shows tragedy in the present but hope for the future.