Famous for trekking along what’s currently known as the Silk Road and for serving in the court of Kublai Khan, Marco Polo was not just a curious adventurer, but also a wonderful storyteller. Other great explorers like Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci referred to Marco Polo’s ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’, or Il Milione, which introduced to them the culture and cartography of Central Asia and China.
In paying tribute to the merchant explorer, Montblanc releases the High Artistry Homage to Marco Polo Limited Editions to celebrate his life of discoveries that continues to inspire generations of readers and adventure-seekers. The special limited edition collection includes the Homage to Marco Polo “Il Milione” Limited Edition 1, Homage to Marco Polo “L’azzuro” Limited Edition 3, Homage to Marco Polo “Great Khan” Limited Edition 9 and the Homage to Marco Polo Silk Road LE69.
Taking a closer look at the Homage to Marco Polo Silk Road LE69, the cap has been incorporated with Damask steel, a first for a Montblanc writing instrument. This metal was chosen reminiscent of the mysterious history of Damascus steel that was said to be made in the Middle East with steel shipped from India, according to the story from “Il Milione”. The shape of the fountain pen itself is evocative of the bamboo forests he discovered on his journey through southern Tibet. The barrel is crafted from precious rosewood, popularly used by the ancient Chinese to create furniture pieces, while a deep blue Lapis lazuli stone in the core symbolises the globe.
Inspired by Marco Polo’s travels particularly his trading of precious stones while serving Kublai Khan, the Homage to Marco Polo “Il Milione” Limited Edition 1’s cap is set with a full pavée of dark red rubies and cognac tone diamonds while the barrel features a diamond-set world map. If that’s not dazzling enough, there is a skeletonised gold cone set with a majestic 6.12ct diamond while the Au750 solid champagne gold nib represents Marco Polo’s travels across the desert.
To discover more about the other pieces in the collection, head over to www.montblanc.com.
Rosalyn Ding
Writer
