After the first edition in 2003, the Pen of the Year gained an exceptional position among connoisseurs of luxurious writing culture. As a limited edition, each edition tells the story of epochs and peoples whose deeds have shaped the history of humanity. The Pen of the Year 2023 is inspired by one of the most fascinating advanced civilizations in the world: Ancient Egypt, with its 3,000 years of history, its deities, stories and achievements. It invites you on a journey to the land of the pharaohs, the pyramids and the papyrus – some 4,000 years before the turn of time.
The exclusive “Ancient Egypt” edition is limited to 375 fountain pens and 125 rollerballs. The matt metal barrel with a particularly resistant diamond-like carbon coating is decorated with the engraved hieroglyphs of twelve deities from Ancient Egypt as well as stylized lotus blossoms that embody the Resurrection.
Metal rings with 24-carat gold plating and blue, high-gloss lacquer rings reminiscent of Tutankhamun’s death mask adorn the pen’s grip. The 18-carat gold nib promises unique writing pleasure.
A metal plate with 24-carat gold plating shows the engraved Eye of Horus – a protective symbol in ancient Egypt – in the end cap.
The shape of the cap is reminiscent of the headdress of Nefertiti, one of the most important and powerful rulers of ancient Egypt. A reconstructed lapis lazuli with an engraved scarab, which symbolizes the sun as a lucky charm, is inlaid in the end piece of the cap.
The Blue of Kings: Lapis lazuli ink
Each fountain pen of the Pen of the Year 2023 edition comes with an ink glass with lapis lazuli ink. The rich, lapis lazuli-inspired shade shimmers deep blue.
Egyptian blue is one of the oldest man-made colours, adorning the crown of Nefertiti as well as the death mask of Tutankhamun. Along with gold, dark blue symbolized the divine in ancient Egypt.
Inspiration of the Pen of the Year 2023: History and Culture of Ancient Egypt
Black The people referred to their homeland as the black land (kemet), which was regularly flooded by the dark mud of the Nile, which made the earth fertile. This annually repeating cycle is said to have led to the creation of the calendar system with around 365 days. The black colour and the ornate elements of the Pen of the Year 2023 bear witness to the origin of the Egyptian empire, the pharaohs, their hieroglyphics and symbols.
In Ancient Egypt, gold (nebu) was a symbol of power and wealth, and only the pharaohs were allowed to adorn themselves with it. Imposing jewellery, tools, vessels and masks made of gold bear witness to Ancient Egypt as the richest gold country of the ancient world.
Gold was also a symbol of the deities. Horus, often depicted as a falcon, was considered one of the most important gods. His famous Horus Eye was found as a protective symbol on amulets, coffins and grave goods and served as a mathematical ratio for the dosage of ingredients in the production of medicine. Engraved in a 24-carat gold-plated metal plate, the Eye of Horus also adorns the end piece of the Pen of the Year 2023.
The inspiration for the filigree engraved pattern on the end piece of the Pen of the Year 2023 came from the lotus flower (seschen), which embodied regeneration and resurrection in ancient Egypt. The blue lotus was particularly revered, its blossom closing day after day at sunset and sinking into the water to rise again at sunrise. As one of the most important symbols, the graceful plant adorned alabaster vessels, jewellery, paintings and columns and was often used in connection with deities as a hieroglyph.
Artful hieroglyphs (medu netscher) adorn the metal barrel of the Pen of the Year 2023: The names of twelve ancient Egyptian deities are engraved on the barrel’s metal, which is coated with diamond-like carbon. Hieroglyphs are considered to be the oldest Egyptian characters, around 7,000 have been handed down to us. For over 3,500 years, hieroglyphs were mostly used for ritual or religious purposes, but also to pass on knowledge over generations. Only then was it possible to develop Ancient Egypt into an advanced civilization and to administer the national territory. Much has been handed down to us from Ancient Egypt over the millennia, posing riddles and fascinating us to this day. The fact that we have been able to uncover some of the secrets is mainly thanks to the hieroglyphs, the elaborate characters in which the advanced civilization found its origin.
The cap of the Pen of the Year 2023 is modelled on the distinctive shape of her blue crown (altiyjan), on the basis of which the bust could be assigned to Nefertiti. Nefertiti’s high crown shape was rare. It symbolizes Nefertiti’s at least equal or higher position of power compared to her husband Akhenaten.
The reconstructed lapis lazuli with engraved scarab (cheperer) set into the end piece of the cap of the Pen of the Year 2023 shines bright blue.
In ancient Egypt, the divine animal on amulets, seals and grave goods was considered a lucky charm and sun symbol that embodied life and rebirth. When the Nile rose above its banks, the beetles moved away from the water and represent an early signal to the people of the eagerly anticipated flood. The deep blue of lapis lazuli was associated with water and the divinity of the night sky as a new colour at the time and was used generously as jewellery, for royal robes and relics. The death mask of Tutankhamun, coloured in royal blue, and the equally blue make- up of Cleopatra, who saw herself as the incarnation of the goddess Isis, are imposing.
One of the most famous finds of ancient Egypt weighs an impressive twelve kilos: Tutankhamun’s death mask. The grip piece of the Pen of the Year 2023 is inspired by the stripes of gold and lapis lazuli as seen on the pharaoh’s replica Nemes headcloth (per aa).
Metal rings with 24-carat gold plating and blue lacquer rings, applied in several layers in an elaborate handicraft, are reminiscent of the valuable headgear that was reserved for pharaohs. Tutankhamun’s burial chamber, lined with pure gold, was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922; it also contained, among other things, his golden throne and a chariot. As an important part of the Egyptian faith, the embalming and mummification of the deceased is part of the ceremony for entering the afterlife.
Ancient Egypt – Pen of the Year 2023
Technical data fountain pen
Weight: approx.86 g
Production: 375 pieces
Price: CHF 5.900,00
Spring widths: M, F, B, BB
Mechanics: Piston mechanics
Delivery: from September 2023
Metal parts: Diamond-Like-Carbon-Coating 18-carat magnum gold
Ancient Egypt – Pen of the Year 2023
Technical data rollerball
Mine: M
Weight: 85 g
Production: 125 pieces
Price: CHF 5.600,00
Delivery: from September 2023
Metal parts: Diamond-Like-Carbon-Coating Magnum format, ruby ball
