Pelikan Maki-e Five Lucky Bats Fountain pen

Pelikan takes the expertise of writing craftsmanship to a new level with the help of Japanese artisans. The 2019 Maki-e Five Lucky Bats is an extremely limited, numbered edition of 123 pieces worldwide. In tradition with their previous Maki-e releases (Peacock, Dragonfly, Spring & Autumn), Five Lucky Bats is crafted from a Souveran M1000 – Pelikan’s grandest fountain pen.

Bats are considered to be a symbol of happiness as the pronunciation of the word ‘bat’ in Chinese resembles a word which means “fortune is coming.” The depiction of the bat is considered to be a lucky pattern which brings five kinds of luck: a long life, wealth and respect, health and mindfulness, virtue and grace, and to die without worry and regret.

This Maki-e fountain pen utilizes labor-intensive techniques to craft a pen that becomes a piece of art. The bats are embellished with elements of abalone raden and kirikane (gold leaf). To add extra luck, golden four leaf clovers are included in the design.

With a writing experience befitting this gorgeous pen, the Lucky Bats has an 18kt gold, two-tone nib in medium point size. The internal piston mechanism fills by bottled ink. A translucent ink window a below the barrel threads allow you to see how much ink is left in the pen, should you choose to ink it at all. Each Lucky Bats fountain pen is packaged in a traditional Japanese gift box made of paulowina wood.