A tribute to William Shakespeare

CEBU, Philippines - Issued every year in a strictly limited edition worldwide since 1992, the Montblanc Writers Edition pays tribute to the greatest icons of literary history. On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his life's achievements, Montblanc celebrates the revered English playwright, poet and actor William Shakespeare, creator of "Romeo and Juliet," "Hamlet," "Macbeth" and many other masterpieces.

A literary genius and magician with words, Shakespeare penned over 150 sonnets and 37 plays in his lifetime, a treasure trove of verbal brilliance that has provided many expressions and nuggets of human wisdom still integral to the English language today.

The diversity and richness of Shakespeare's work is honored in the many details of the William Shakespeare Limited Editions created from the most select materials and shaped by highly skilled master craftsmen with meticulous dedication. In a first for Montblanc, the precious resin cap takes on an octagonal shape reminiscent of the famous Globe Theatre and its octagonal structure. A feat of technical virtuosity and precision, the shape is achieved by ensuring that the facts and edges are perfectly defined while never losing the highly polished surface of the resin.

The design of the Writers Edition William Shakespeare is inspired by the broad spectrum of Shakespeare's plays, ranging from dark tragedies to light comedies. The black-and-white precious resin combination on the cap and barrel recalls the colors of the flags that were raised above his theatre depending on the genre staged with white being comedy and black being tragedy.

The body of the writing instrument is engraved with a fine feather-like pattern that represents the quill pen Shakespeare used to write his many works. At the end of the clip, a golden ring recalls the earring Shakespeare wore in the Chandos portrait, the most famous portrait of the bard. In honor of the great dramatist of the human soul, the writing instrument is encircled with a gold-plated ring embossed with symbols representing his seven most famous plays. A rose and dagger stand for "Romeo and Juliet," a skull for "Hamlet," two chess pieces for "King Lear," a crest for "Henry V," a crown for "Macbeth," a swirling cloud for "The Tempest" and a laurel wreath in the form of a 'C' for "Julius Caesar."

Inspired by the shape of the Globe, Shakespeare's innovative circular theater that drew every audience member into the action of the play, the cap of the writing instrument is octagonal and finishes in a cap top shaped like the ringed roof of the theatre. In the center, where the yard and stage were open to the sky, the deeply set white Montblanc emblem elegantly crowns the Edition. The engraving on the Au 750 gold nib honors the Globe Theatre affectionately referred to by the playwright as the "wooden O," depicting the multi-storey stage in the center of this special universe he created for his audience.

Limited to 1597 pieces in reference to the year his most important play "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet" was first published, the William Shakespeare Limited Edition 1597 is inspired by his greatest tragedies. The multi-colored barrel is embellished with exquisite guilloche patterns evoking his quill overlaid with precious lacquer, contrasting with the cap crafted from pure black lacquer.

The black and red colors are a reference to the flags that flew above his theatre to inform audiences of that genre being performed at the time: red for historical drama and black for tragedy. As well as featuring the embossed symbols on the cap and cone's gold-plated rings representing his most famous plays, the William Shakespeare Limited Edition 1597 is decorated with Tudor design elements reminiscent of the era in which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays and the longstanding patronage of Queen Elizabeth I.

The forepart of the fountain pen is engraved with Shakespeare's signature, and the black resin cone features a Tudor rose at its base, the badge favored by the Virgin Queen. The blue lacquer above the cone of the fountain pen refers to the color defined as 'Royal Blue' because it was worn by royalty, the nobility and members of the Council. The color also symbolized heavenly grace within the church, power, importance and wealth.  The octagonal cap mirrors the distinctive structure of the Globe Theatre on the banks of the Thames in London with gold-coated strips set against the precious lacquer evoking the balconies that surrounded the stage and gave audiences an unparalleled experience inside the theatre.

Inspired by the colors of the red flags that flew above the theatre to indicate the performance of one of his historical dramas as well as the vibrant red quill pen used by the playwright himself, Montblanc is releasing a velvet red ink to accompany the Writers Edition William Shakespeare.

To complete the Collection, Montblanc is introducing two pairs of circular cufflinks with the Tudor rose as the central motif. The simple elegance of a red rose contrasts with the yellow-gold PVD finish of the first pair, while a black rose complements the shine of the stainless steel pair.

Although 400 years have passed since the literary genius penned his final work, his characters are still as alive today as they were then, and continue to move audiences around the world. On the one hand, his characters are real, relatable and fallible, on the other, his plays address the human condition touching on timeless themes from love and friendship to vengeance and loss. Reflecting the Montblanc Maison values of heritage and modernity, Shakespeare's work, while based on characters and situations from distant times, proves to be as pioneering as ever influencing contemporary thoughts and culture.

The Writers Edition William Shakespeare is only available in a strictly limited edition worldwide from August 2016. The issue number engraved on the cap is proof of the uniqueness of every piece. In Cebu, Montblanc is located at Rustan's, Ayala Center Cebu. More information is found at  www.facebook.com/rustansph, at @RustansPH on Instagram and Twitter, an at the website www.montblanc.com. (FREEMAN)