Visconti "the Forbidden City" 888 Ltd

[olivier78860]

http://i.imgur.com/ML2SG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CHOZ3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rAVNX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jjAgE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X1U7a.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/poqnn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aXlpP.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5d8vA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/i5n4e.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pjb0H.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2LFli.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TXXkI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/T99rg.jpg

Pictures courtesy of Bryant, from whom I got the pen. Recommended seller by the way !

[Uncle Red]

That's a stunning pen. It's a vacuum filler, right?

[olivier78860]

Yes, it fills up like the Homo Sapiens. Pull the dragon, put in the inkwell, push the dragon back into its "cavern", wait for a few seconds, imprison the dragon by screwing the cap back on, and you're ready to go.

[spinningtrees]

Wow, cool pen! I'm not going to ask the price though. I even like the box.

Enjoy!

[Ghost Plane]

Looks to be a similar size to my "Spirit of Life" :hmm1:

[reprieve]

It's a very pretty pen. I like the dragon on the end of the plunger filler.

[professionaldilettante]

I'm sorry, this pen doesn't do anything for me. I'm up for a Chinese themed pen, but this doesn't seem like it. If it was designed by a crew of Chinese, I don't think it would have come out this way. I really think it's built to try and lure in Chinese buyers, but there are design elements that just don't seem very traditional Chinese to me, more of lets slap a few things associated with Chinese/Asian culture together and market it. About as offensive as seeing a Starbucks in the Forbidden City, (which as far as I know, did exist, and has since been removed). If you have been to the Forbidden City, there would have been much more that could have been done to this pen to relate it to the Forbidden City, not just some quasi-Chinese contraption. Nice try though, but no cigar.

[ggggggh]

As a Chinese, I don't have any interest in this one. I can't say what's wrong but it does look weird. The base model of this pen seems to be similar to the Visconti Taj Mahal, but somehow, in my opinion that one's design is better. (and yes, I confirm the Starbucks story.)

[Truman]

Congratulations on your pen! It's always fun to get acquainted with something new and different. thanks for the review.

[olivier78860]

http://i.agoravox.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L417xH291/ceci-n-est-pas-une-pipe-41dba.jpg

 

professionaldilettante : you actually know that MontBlanc pens aren't made on the mountain, right ?

Also, last time I checked, there was a McDonald's at the Louvre museum, the former house of the kings of France.

Morality : if you don't want everyone on the planet to be offended, give history books to the american CEOs

Edited March 8, 2012 by olivier78860

[hari317]

http://i.agoravox.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L417xH291/ceci-n-est-pas-une-pipe-41dba.jpg

 

professionaldilettante : you actually know that MontBlanc pens aren't made on the mountain, right ?

 

I did not know about this painting, to those curious:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images

[akrishna59]

As a Chinese, I don't have any interest in this one. I can't say what's wrong but it does look weird. The base model of this pen seems to be similar to the Visconti Taj Mahal, but somehow, in my opinion that one's design is better. (and yes, I confirm the Starbucks story.)

 

in my humble opinion, there was'nt much relation to the taj mahal in the "taj mahal" pen that visconti brought out either.

 

rgds.

 

krishna.

[professionaldilettante]

http://i.agoravox.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L417xH291/ceci-n-est-pas-une-pipe-41dba.jpg

 

professionaldilettante : you actually know that MontBlanc pens aren't made on the mountain, right ?

Also, last time I checked, there was a McDonald's at the Louvre museum, the former house of the kings of France.

Morality : if you don't want everyone on the planet to be offended, give history books to the american CEOs

Mont Blanc is a mountain, a natural feature. Everyone knows that it has nothing to do with that mountain, and it's not made in any ignorance. The mountain would care less if it was reduced to a little plastic button on the end of a pen. However, it's not an inanimate object here. This pen, as with many is a portrays a stereotype. In a world where we are increasingly globalized, care really needs to be taken to avoid offending people. It'd would be wrong, of an American company to make something to market to the Irish market covered in purple shamrocks no? Or making a pen for South Africa looking like some combination of fried chicken and watermelon right? It's the same thing here. This pen is just culturally insensitive, making a broad generalization of Chinese culture. Seems like they did the same thing for the Taj Mahal. It's like MB making a pen commemorating Ghandi, when the pen itself cost more than all his worldly belongings, and representing ideas against his very teachings. Sure, companies are always trying to squeeze a dollar out, but if people have pride in themselves, they won't let them. China's government kicked out Starbucks out of the Forbidden City once word got out. If the French don't care for their dignity, they will let as many fast food chains fill up the Louvre. I don't mind all that much, I'm not French. However, there is a beauty in seeing the Forbidden City that gets jarred once you see a big Starbucks sign poking out. It in itself is a giant work of art. You wouldn't plaster a Burger King logo in front of a Monet or something right? Same idea with that Starbucks. These companies, if they want to do it right are just going to have to become more culturally sensitive. Maybe hire an outside design team, instead of trying and failing at it themselves or something like that.

[olivier78860]

I posted this picture of Magritte's painting to suggest this pen was a subjective representation of a concept, nothing more, nothing less.

 

I quite like the design of this pen here, it goes well with my imaginary view of the Forbidden City, as a symbolic work of art. The golden reproductions parts are quite faithful to the statues I saw in books, the geometry of the overlay is comparable to the pieces of furniture one can see in a chinese antique shop, for instance. I won't blame Visconti for not putting jade on it.

 

Therefore, I can't accept your parallel with the overly racist stereotypes of an eventual "South Africa Ltd Ed", as you described it, and I fail to see what would be wrong for an american company to design a product for the irish market covered in shamrock. Regarding Gandhi, yes, this might be the most "overturned" concept in all.

 

And I don't get offended when I see american movies depicting Paris as if it had been fossilized in the late 1940s. It just amuses me.

 

We are surrounded by clichés, and in my opinion, there are more important things to be offended by than petty things like pens.

[professionaldilettante]

I posted this picture of Magritte's painting to suggest this pen was a subjective representation of a concept, nothing more, nothing less.

 

I quite like the design of this pen here, it goes well with my imaginary view of the Forbidden City, as a symbolic work of art. The golden reproductions parts are quite faithful to the statues I saw in books, the geometry of the overlay is comparable to the pieces of furniture one can see in a chinese antique shop, for instance. I won't blame Visconti for not putting jade on it.

 

Therefore, I can't accept your parallel with the overly racist stereotypes of an eventual "South Africa Ltd Ed", as you described it, and I fail to see what would be wrong for an american company to design a product for the irish market covered in shamrock. Regarding Gandhi, yes, this might be the most "overturned" concept in all.

 

And I don't get offended when I see american movies depicting Paris as if it had been fossilized in the late 1940s. It just amuses me.

 

We are surrounded by clichés, and in my opinion, there are more important things to be offended by than petty things like pens.

Offensive, not really. Just culturally ignorant. That's why this pen does nothing for me. You can have it all you want, but there's nothing there for me.

[Truman]

We are surrounded by clichés, and in my opinion, there are more important things to be offended by than petty things like pens.

 

 

I tend to agree. Sometimes a pen is just a wonderful writing instrument and not meant to convey world relationships and the weight of history.

[gregamckinney]

http://i.agoravox.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L417xH291/ceci-n-est-pas-une-pipe-41dba.jpg

 

professionaldilettante : you actually know that MontBlanc pens aren't made on the mountain, right ?

 

I did not know about this painting, to those curious:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images

 

Not related to the thread, but one of the funnier plays on the 'Treachery' pipe:

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DXNWY2dX7Wo/SlwSD7hrbYI/AAAAAAAACh0/44PGTMFAUKI/s400/Thats+not+a+moon.png

 

Regards, greg

[Muncle]

We are surrounded by clichés, and in my opinion, there are more important things to be offended by than petty things like pens.

 

 

I tend to agree. Sometimes a pen is just a wonderful writing instrument and not meant to convey world relationships and the weight of history.

 

Except that when you name your pen "The Forbidden City" that is exactly what you are trying to convey. Same goes for any commemorative, limited edition pen.

[olivier78860]

I'm completely disgusted by the negative comments, this is getting ridiculous.

That you don't like the pen in itself, I can understand. But that you have to hide behind so-called "cultural inconsistency" (which is, believe it or not, a completely subjective approach) to diss it, this is beyond my understanding.

Edited March 10, 2012 by olivier78860

[professionaldilettante]

I'm completely disgusted by the negative comments, this is getting ridiculous.

That you don't like the pen in itself, I can understand. But that you have to hide behind so-called "cultural inconsistency" (which is, believe it or not, a completely subjective approach) to diss it, this is beyond my understanding.

No one is hiding behind anything. To someone from the outside, it looks perfectly fine. However, from more than one Chinese has said it looks funny... You can love the pen for all it is, but know that others see it as odd.