Beschreibung:

SF: Bonhams Auctioneers, 2013. 4to. Black cloth, dust jacket, sewn binding, lilac endpapers, limitation plate. Fully illustrated. First Edition. 400 lots of the season's best pens. Features the White Gloves Collection of high-grade Montblancs, with highlights including several rare Skeleton pens, foremost among them the legendary G.W. Bush Presidential Presentation Fountain Pen, 1/1 (lot 259). Other highlights include a previously unseen Cartier Lovebird in solid sterling silver, a veritable Maltese Falcon of rare Cartiers (lot 25); a generous selection of top high-end Montblancs, including a Chaplin (lot 244), a Churchill (lot 253), a Columbus (lot 245), and virgin examples of the Picasso and John Lennon Skeletons (lots 249 & 246). We are perhaps proudest of lot 286, a pristine example of the rare 18K solid gold Montegrappa Bruce Lee Dragon fountain pen. It was consigned by the Swiss Red Cross, and funds raised by the sale will benefit various worthy charities under their auspices. The sale of this pen has the full blessing of Mr. Guissepi Aquila, CEO of Montegrappa. Bonhams is delighted to offer this great pen for an equally great cause. Penna, the tastemaking fountain pen & lifestyle magazine, features this pen prominently in its latest issue, calling it "a triumph of gold, celluloid, silk and velvet, which fully justifies its estimate of 30-50,000 dollars." Maki-e fanciers will be intrigued by a rare selection of 12 high-grade Dani Trio "Grand Trio" maki-e fountain pens, all new to the market (lots 34-45). Two vintage Dunhill-Namiki examples are also within these pages (lots 296 & 297). Collectors of unusual hand-painted masterpieces will admire the Dani Trio / AP Limited Russian Giant fountain pen, a rare artist's proof (lot 46), and the sensational Krone Tarzan Magnum fountain pen, limited to just 18 examples (lot 82). We are both glad and sad to offer the very last of Mr. Mel Wilmore's extraordinary collection of high-grade Montblanc pens. Bonhams' sale of Mr. Wilmore's pens in June of last year was a landmark event, which originated in San Francisco, previewed with much fanfare in Hong Kong, and finished in New York. Many record prices were realized, and Mr. Wilmore's pens have established a niche as perhaps the most coveted examples of those particular pens. We are confident that the White Gloves Collection will enjoy similar status in years to come. Of particular note are these last pens from Mr. Wilmore's vault: the only equestrian example of Montblanc's rare Art of Porcelain, perhaps the finest ballpoint pen currently on the market (lot 243), and a superb John Adams fountain pen from Montblanc's America's Signatures for Freedom series (lot 254). Other wonderful pens include a sterling silver Bic ballpoint, an irresistible conversation piece (lot 8), a mint Montblanc President Obama Inaguration pen, limited to 200 examples for private distribution (lot 121), and the director's personal favorite, an exquisite Parker 47 Lucky Curve "Pregnant Parker" fountain pen, circa 1909 (lot 346). This wonderful pen has garnered significant media interest. Art & Antiques magazine refers to the pen in their May, 2013 issue as a "legendarily rare" pen, with crossover appeal for both vintage and modern limited collectors. As always, the catalogue is fully illustrated with full-color photographs, and makes an excellent reference and keepsake. Limited Edition: one of 8 copies, of which 7 are for private distribution and one is for sale.