NEW CARAN D'ACHE HONG KONG HK1997 LIMITED EDITION FOUNTAIN PEN .

LIMITED TO 1997 PIECES.

COMES WITH BOX AND PAPERS.

Caran d'Ache, the Swiss manufacturer of high-precision writing instruments, has produced a unique fountain pen to commemorate Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July 1997. Called "HK 1997", this strikingly beautiful pen was designed by the world-famous Hong Kong architect and artist Tao Ho. Part of Caran d'Ache's "Collection Privée", the "HK 1997" is produced in a limited edition – precisely 1997 numbered pieces – and will be sold to collectors and art lovers all over world. The cap of the pen is embellished with Chinese characters meaning "1997", whereas the pen's main body carries the message "One Country, Two Systems", which China's late leader Deng Xiao Ping expressed as Hong Kong's policy for the years to come. Tao Ho used the "running grass" calligraphy style of Huai Su, a famous Tang Dynasty monk, to gracefully compose this message of optimism and hope for Hong Kong's future. The letters are carved out of the pen's solid brass barrel and plated with gold. The empty spaces between the characters are filled in by hand with genuine, imperial red Chinese lacquer. Two rings, each one made of 25 glittering "Swarovski" zircons, symbolize the importance of Deng Xiao Ping's promise that the existing government system of Hong Kong will remain intact for 50 years. The "HK 1997" pen is presented in a beautiful, octagon-shaped wooden box. It has a shining black lacquer finish and displays on the cover the stunning flower of Hong Kong, called "Bauhinia". Its five white petals contain five red stars. This flower represents the central theme in the new, red flag of Hong Kong which was also designed by Tao Ho.