Visconti’s The Forbidden City Sterling Silver LE 888 is probably the most extravagant pen we’ve had the privilege to offer. Inspired by China’s seat of imperial power for 500 years, its elaborate architecture has been interpreted in a pen that took designer M. Carla Benedetti and Visconti president Dante Del Vecchio seven years to develop. 

The design’s grid reflects the layout of the Forbidden City as seen from above. The deep blue resin complements accents in sterling silver coated with 18-karat gold. These accents include cultural beings held in high regard, such as the dragon, which is the symbol of the emperor, the phoenix, which is the symbol of the empress, and lions, which guard the imperial family and represent dominion and continuity of the royal line. The end of the barrel twists off to reveal a beautifully crafted dragon head that acts as the plunger of the vacuum filling mechanism. The pen is crowned by an 18-karat gold nib. 

We have for sale a pre-owned Visconti The Forbidden City Sterling Silver LE 888 fountain pen with an M nib numbered 172/888. It comes complete with its papers and its wooden case seemingly inspired by the Hall of Supreme Harmony, although the lid has been slightly damaged due to shipping. 

Length capped: 15.6 cm.