Overview
Visconti is renown for creative and innovative pen craftsmanship, and inspired by the success of the Homo Sapiens series, Visconti wondered if it was possible to produce a pen made from the material that best represents Florence: the Cotto Fiorentino Terracotta. The result is the astounding new Visconti Brunelleschi limited edition pen. A pen that pays homage to the great Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed and engineered the dome of the Florentine cathedral – The Duomo – and is the largest structure in the world made of Cotto Fiorentino Terracotta.
Terracotta
An age-old traditional product, man has been manufacturing artifacts in terracotta since roughly 5000 BC. It was from Etruria that terracotta was introduced to Rome, used by the building industry in the imperial capital primarily to manufacture bricks and tiles. The Etruscans achieved high level of excellence in this field, adorning their temples with terracotta artifacts and using the material to make tiles and cornices, home furnishings and pottery, statuettes and vases.
The Visconti Brunelleschi
The Brunelleschi limited edition pen is an oversized, eight-sided pen accurately reflecting the shape of the cathedral dome. Weighing roughly 45 grams (the actual Dome is 45 meters wide) it is the perfect weight for daily use. Its shape, like that of the Visconti Divina, is in the ideal proportion based on Leonardo da Vinci’s Divine Proportion, which makes the size of the cap 0.618 the size of the barrel. The pen’s material, a Cotto Fiorentino terracotta resin composite, has a dark brick color and many of its own special characteristics. The color is similar to the red ebonite so dearly cherished by collectors of vintage pens. Unlike ebonite, however, the terracotta compound is extremely stable, it does not dull with age and it is considerably more shock-resistant. The ring on the pen barrel is decorated with an engraving of the Cathedral’s windows surrounding the dome.
The pen features Visconti’s flexible 23kt palladium Dreamtouch nib available in XF, F, M, B, BB and Stub widths and fills with a high vacuum power filler. The pen’s lock system, a Visconti patent, is the well-known Hook Safe Lock method that allows the user to close the pen by rotating it by only 20°, thus making it almost impossible to open the cap by accident. All trims are made from rose vermeil gold and the Brunelleschi is limited to 388 numbered pieces. Each pen is beautifully presented in a collector’s set including a glass inkwell with ink, a matching Visconti traveling ink well also made from terracotta, eye dropper and a terracotta tile that says Brunelleschi all packaged in a luxury eco-leather box.
Retail Price
Fountain Pen Set $995
Edition:
Limited to 388 pieces worldwide
Fountain Nib:
23kt palladium Dreamtouch nib available in EF,F,M,B,BB,S
Filling System:
High Vacuum Power Filler
Material:
Compound of Cotto Fiorentino Terracotta
Trims:
Rose Gold Vermeil
Metallic Decoration:
Burin-engraved with a Florence Cathedral theme on the ring
Lock System:
Hook Safe Lock
Comes with original box, ink, papers, and accessories. Excellent condition.