Laban Greek Mythology II Bottled Ink
Last year Laban released five really strong colors of fountain pen ink. They call it the Greek Mythology Bottled Ink collection. I loved these colors so much, and was pleasantly surprised at how rich they were (as you can see in my review of it here). Plus, who doesn’t like a fun theme to pair with their inks? Now, almost one year later, Laban has done it again. The Laban Greek Mythology II Bottled Ink collection introduces five new colors to go along with five different Greek Gods. While Laban is mainly known for their pens, I hope that with ten such strong colors between the two collections, they’ll venture even further into ink territory.
The Laban Greek Mythology II Bottled Ink retains the same 50mL size glass bottles that the original collection uses. There’s a cardboard “bumper” around the bottle that helps keep it from wiggling around in transit. This $20 bottle of fountain pen ink is a joy to use regardless of the color(s) you choose.
Inside each box, you’ll find a little booklet with illustrations of the various Greek Gods along with their corresponding ink. On the box itself (outside and under the flap), you’ll find a few words from Laban describing each ink’s correlation to the Greek God. The five colors are as follows: Athena Grey, Zeus Purple, Ares Red, Hermes Sky Blue, and Hera Dark Green.
First of all, Athena Grey is an appropriately dark shade of grey. It’s almost like the charred ash from wartime. As you may know, Athena is the Greek Goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason. She was the city protectress, and yet was also urban and civilized. Since the Greek economy was largely militarized, Athena retained her domestic functions while becoming the Goddess of war.
Secondly, Zeus Purple is a deep, regal, and majestic purple. Purple is known for being the color of royalty. It’s perfectly fitting for Zeus, considering he’s believed to be the ruler, protector, and father of all Greek Gods and humans. Zeus is the God of the Sky, and is depicted as an older man with a lightning bolt and an eagle.
Third is Ares Red. Fiery and bloody are the images conjured up by this red ink. It’s not dark enough to be a deep blood red, but rather a middle range red that’s still great for everyday use. While Athena is the Goddess of War, Ares is the God of War. More specifically, he’s known as the Spirit of Battle. Ares represents brutal warfare and slaughter.
Fourth is Hermes Sky Blue. This ink is perfectly named as it looks exactly like you’re writing with the light blue sky from high up in the clouds. Hermes is believed to be very multifaceted. He’s considered to be the Messenger of the Gods. He’s also considered to be the protector of human heralds, travelers, merchants, thieves, and orators. Not only that, with his winged sandals, Hermes can move freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine.
Finally, Hera Dark Green is a very calm and sultry shade of green. It’s fitting as a more subdued color, rather than a bright and bold green. Hera is known as a matronly figure, and is considered Queen of the Gods since she’s married to Zeus. Also, Hera is the daughter of Titans Cronus and Rhea. She’s also known as the Goddess of Women, Marriage, Family, and Childbirth.