Tibaldi by Montegrappa Draco et Phoenix Limited Edition Pens, 2007

In Ancient times in China, the Dragon was considered the King of Heavenly Deities while the Phoenix was often referred to as the Queen of birds.

Traditionally passed down to this day, the Dragon and Phoenix are the symbols of auspiciousness, often known as part of the "Four Supernatural Spirits" along with the Lin and the Tortoise.

The Dragon often appears in a variety of magical forms, be it short or long, big or small. It inhabits all territories from the heights of the heaven to the depths of the earth and believed to have the power to control rain, bestowing precious water during times of drought and clearing the clouds when floods threaten. The Phoenix, believed to be a supernatural bird embodying the five virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and sincerity. Never harming a single insect or blade of grass, perching only in the finest trees, eating only bamboo seeds and drinking spring water.

There is an old Chinese saying, "When the Dragon soars and the Phoenix dances, the people will enjoy happiness for years, bringing peace and tranquility to all under heaven". Such is the belief as an auspicious sign when sightings of both the Dragon and Phoenix are seen together.

In addition to serving as auspicious symbols, the Dragon and Phoenix were often metaphors for the gentleman and the sage. For example, Confucius reportedly compared Lao-tzu to a dragon; both reserved yet elusive spirits capable of freely transcending the boundaries of heaven and earth. Lao-tzu is also said to have compared the wisdom and grace of Confucius to the lofty virtues associated with the phoenix; both took benevolence as the ultimate virtue in treating others. Consequently, we know from ancient texts and artifacts that the dragon and the phoenix were auspicious animals as early as the Neolithic age in China. Highly revered and appreciated, images of dragons and phoenixes found their way onto ceremonial jade ornaments and were carved, painted, or sewn onto objects of everyday use--representing reverence for the spirits and desire for auspicious fortune. This custom was passed down through the ages. From references of dragons and phoenixes in local festivals and rites to the heights of literature and fine art, they all reveal the glory of these legendary animals.

Ever since the First Emperor of China, the Ch'in dynasty (221-206 B.C.), proclaimed himself descendant of the dragon, almost every ruler was referred to as "The True Dragon, Son of Heaven." Becoming a symbol of the ruler was the Dragon, while the phoenix became an embodiment of his mate.

Representing imperial nobility and authority, the forms of the dragon and the Phoenix were gradually transformed into images associated with the court. Till these days, we can find images and patterns bearing the imperial Dragon and Phoenix in almost everything related to the court, from palace decorations and architecture to furniture, clothing and even everyday items in a variety of materials from paper to wood and even jade. Making them "true" treasures of ancient Chinese arts and crafts, the Dragon and Phoenix are depicted in every imaginable style and pose.

It is with such adulations that Tibaldi has created these mystical animals as a pair symbolising prosperity and virtue to all who possess them.

TIBALDI introduces a precious pen set, celebrating the most powerful and auspicious mythological creatures according to Chinese tradition.

The fountain pen is hand painted with a mighty portrait of the Dragon on the barrel, whilst the body of the roller ball boasts an elegant image of the Phoenix. Designed, painted and produced with supreme precision and craftsmanship, TIBALDI pens are ornate accessories and masterpieces of technological innovation.

TIBALDI pens embody the ancient concept of the Divine Proportion, or Phi, to every minute detail, resulting in writing instruments of sublime elegance.

*“Draco et Phoenix” is the Latin translation of “Dragon and Phoenix”.

Divinely inspired design
Phi – the concept known as the Divine Proportion – informs every aspect of the structure of all TIBALDI pens. For example, the proportion between the pen’s cap and the visible portion of the barrel when the pen is closed equals the phi ratio, 1.618. Even the pen’s accompanying case is measured in multiples of the phi coefficient.

Phi has been used in art, architecture and music for centuries, often unintentionally. Aesthetically, phi is a symbol of perfect and natural beauty. It occurs constantly in nature, in the pattern of the skins of animals and fruits and the arrangement of leaves on trees.

Precious, reliable, collectible
Ever since TIBALDI introduced Italy’s first fountain pen in 1916, collectors and pen lovers round the world continue to rely on TIBALDI’s extraordinary, precious and high-performance writing instruments.

TIBALDI DRACO ET PHOENIX patents

The TIBALDI DRACO ET PHOENIX collection is based on the original TIBALDI Divina design.

Two international patents testify to the uniqueness and technical excellence of all TIBALDI Divina pens.

TIBALDI’s unique design based on the Divine Proportion is patented, as is TIBALDI’s innovative and precise filling mechanism.

Rotating the pen’s blind cap while filling the pen feels and sounds like winding the crown of a fine watch. The mechanism applies a slight resistance to rotation, avoiding brusque movements at the bottom of the pen and reducing the risk of accidental leakages.

Meticulous detailing
A snap mechanism and roller on the clip mean the TIBALDI Divina slips smoothly into a pocket or onto a notepad. Each clip is carved with computer-operated cutting and shaping machines combined with the finely honed skills of Italian master craftsmen.

The artist – Lorena Straffi
Airbrush artist Lorena Straffi has skilfully airbrushed miniature portraits of the mighty creatures onto each DRACO ET PHOENIX pen. Born in Bologna, Italy, Lorena Straffi set up her own studio there in 1992, establishing a name for herself by bringing her unique take on airbrush painting to Harley Davidson and Ducati motorbikes as well as Maserati cars. In 2005, she moved to England, where she co-founded Artenchant Studio, specialising in customised airbrushed works of art for corporate projects and private collectors round the world. In 2007 and 2008, she co-operated with TIBALDI on the exclusive CLARI VIRI collection.

Airbrushed miniatures
Airbrushing is an art of extreme precision. An airbrush is a small, air-operated art tool used to spray paint from a small reservoir mounted on its side. The artist combines the right amounts of paint and air pressure by depressing the trigger on the top of the airbrush, whilst moving the airbrush at varying distances from the surface being painted. Artist Lorena Straffi began working millimetres from the surface, skillfully airbrushing the detail onto the tiny surface of the DRACO ET PHOENIX pens. If the viscosity of the paint is too thick it could congeal at the needle tip and destroy the art work. If it is too thin it could burn through the existing artwork destroying it completely.

TIBALDI nibs
Like the original TIBALDI nibs from the early 1900s, each 18K solid gold TIBALDI nib is engraved with the guarantee of first class writing instruments – “1a Qualità”. Platinum is only applied outside the contours of the eagle and inside the words, requiring the skill of an experienced goldsmith. The thickness of gold varies across the nib to maximise flexibility and comfort when writing.

A choice of wider nib grades match every writing preference – fine (F), medium (M), broad (B), double broad (BB), oblique medium (OM), oblique broad (OB) and STUB.

The TIBALDI DRACO ET PHOENIX collection
Each TIBALDI DRACO ET PHOENIX pen is a precious limited edition writing instrument. Only 99 sets consisting of fountain pen and roller ball are available.

TIBALDI casing
The DRACO ET PHOENIX set of writing instruments is presented in a sumptuous piano-finish lacquered wooden-case.

TIBALDI DRACO ET PHOENIX limited edition
The Dragon fountain pen is fashioned from black resin while the Phoenix roller ball is made of ivory resin.

The ivory and black stress free acrylic is carefully carved by master craftsmen from a single bar of raw material, guaranteeing durability.

A diamond patterned finish is found on the pen’s trimmings in sterling silver with rose gold plating. This pattern is known as Clou de Paris – an ancient decoration found on fine watches ever since the 18th century. The ratio of the Divine Proportion applies to the height and width of every Clou de Paris engraving found on the pen’s trim and barrel.

Only 99 sets consisting of fountain pen (Draco) and roller ball (Phoenix) are available.