Great Characters Homage to The Great Gatsby Limited Edition 100 Fountain Pen

Certain novels go down in literary history and, at the same time, come to symbolise an entire epoch. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ is one such gem of modern American literature. Published in 1925, the novel paints a fascinating picture of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties – a time of unprecedented affluence and self-indulgence. Pulsating New York City, the opulent mansions of Long Island and the dazzling high society parties are the backdrop to the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, who will stop at nothing to regain the affections of the lost love of his youth, Daisy Buchanan. Montblanc honours this much-filmed literary masterpiece, likewise a synonym for the glamorous world of Art Deco, with the Great Characters Homage to The Great Gatsby Limited Edition 100. Art Deco cast a glamorous sheen over everything. Architecture literally burst out of the two-dimensional and soared skywards, symbolising progress and emancipation. Its decorative arches, steps, angles and jagged lines gave buildings an unmistakable dynamic and aesthetic – and clearly also inspired this limited edition. The skeletonised symmetrical arches and lines crafted from solid Au 750 yellow gold reveal the black, translucent surface beneath. Shining green tsavorites on the cap and barrel reference the green light on the dock at Daisy’s house – a symbol of hope for love-struck millionaire Jay Gatsby, better known as The Great Gatsby. Product images may differ from the actual product Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of a universal ideal, the American self-made man. Yet behind Gatsby’s wealthy facade, the dream begins to unravel. His riches stem from dealings in alcohol during the Prohibition era, when the forbidden liquid was frequently filled in small, screw-cap bottles that were easy to conceal. Every drop was precious. Correspondingly, not only the contents but also the design of the hip flasks were revered. For the Great Characters Homage to The Great Gatsby Limited Edition 100, the cone imitates the engraved screw cap of an Art Deco flask. The myth of the American dream is referenced by the fine rings in the colours of the American flag adorning the cone. Like the skeleton overlay, the fittings of the edition are made of solid Au 750 yellow gold, as gold is the symbol of wealth, power and status and the colour yellow is mentioned most frequently in the novel. By contrast, the deep black, translucent cap and barrel represent the corruption and moral decay lying beneath the glittering facade of affluent society. The radiant green light shining every evening on the dock at Daisy’s house is the only ray of hope and is portrayed here, alongside the tsavorite on the skeletonised cap and barrel, by a green malachite inlay in the cone. It represents the yearning for a better future and Gatsby’s desire to win Daisy back again. His love, however, remains unrequited – unattainable despite all his wealth. The intoxicating yet seemingly illusory power of money is symbolised by the gold-coated clip in the form of a money clip. Its rounded opening is decorated with the diamond-studded initials of Jay Gatsby as a rhomboidal Art Deco monogram. The crowning Montblanc emblem is made of mother-of-pearl surrounded by black onyx, a material combination that inspired some of the most elegant creations by jewellery designers of the Art Deco period. The elegance of its lines is the key motif of Art Deco – striking yet sophisticated. A purely linear engraving also adorns the handcrafted solid Au 750 gold nib. The figure 100 is significant in more ways than one: it indicates the limited number of pieces in the Great Characters Homage to The Great Gatsby Limited Edition 100, alluding to the fictional character’s 100th birthday – that is the 100th anniversary of the novel’s publication. Furthermore, it points to the world of money and the highest-denomination dollar note in circulation at the time.