Bruce Lee is in the news for more reasons than the soon-to-release film version of popular television series The Green Hornet that starred Lee. In a bid to honour the action star on his seventieth birth anniversary, Italian pen manufacturer Montegrappa is re-fashioning one of its signature pens, ‘The Dragon’.
1,912 units of the original ‘Dragon’ was produced by Montegarppa in 1995 to celebrate the company’s founding year. While most were fashioned out of black mother-of-pearl celluloid and sterling silver, 100 pens were made in 18K gold. ‘The Dragon 2010 Bruce Lee’ limited edition differs from the 1995 version on several aspects. The colour, the design of the pocket clip, the detailing on the cap, the nib and the tail of the dragon embracing the barrel have been changed. Look close. A profile shot of Bruce Lee in action graces the nib.
The pen is indeed a work of art. The top of the cap flaunts the symbol of yin and yang, a sign of balance. The body and the cap of the Bruce Lee edition is made of red celluloid and black veining. Beautifully detailed dragons adorn both the barrel and the cap of the pen. The dragons on the sterling silver versions have rubies for eyes. Other precious stones like black and white diamonds and emeralds double up as the dragons’ eyes in the more encrusted versions.
Montegrappa is producing 2010 units of the Bruce Lee Dragon priced between $4,675 and $102,200. Collectors, watch out for the 10 ultra-rare sets of a fountain pen, a roller ball and an inkwell costing $290,550. Certainly, here’s a pen to remember Bruce Lee by.
