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.
This story is from the February 2024 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2024 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
25 Years of the Levenger True Writer
The new Anniversary Origins collection celebrates the True Writer's silver anniversary, but its origins are over a century old.
LAMY and uni Unite
The Japanese company behind the Uniball brand and Germany's LAMY are now partners.
Wajima Earthquake: Lest We Forget
The New Year's Day earthquake took lives and livelihoods. The future of Wajima lacquerware is at stake.
Fontoplumo: Filling a Need
Frank van Krieken turned a hobby into a pen store, and he is spreading the gospel across the globe.
Styling and Substance: Sheaffer and Sengbusch, and One or Two Others: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part IV
In the second installment of this series, we saw the R. Esterbrook Steel Pen Company get its start in the dip-less business.
The Power of the Pen
A Veterans Administration program in Arkansas turns former warriors into pen makers.
The White Dot Marks the Spot
Production by William Penn, distribution by Kenro: Sheaffer is back to basics.
Manu's Pen Nebula
The Pen Family represents Emmanuel Caltagirone's personal journey. Let's take a short trip through time and space.
Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part III
Once dip-less desk sets became entrenched in the business world, they naturally proliferated as more companies got into the game.
The Inkwell and the Imagination
A history of the inkwell as a source of inspiration.