ANCORA PAUA MOTHER OF PEARL INLAID LIMITED EDITON FOUNTAIN PEN

The Ancora company, created in 1909 by Giuseppe Zanini in Sesto Calende, is undoubtedly the oldest pen brand in Italy. Originally a business of office supplies, books and toys. In 1919, Zanini registered his firm as Primaria Fabbrica Penne Stilografiche Ancora and began assembling pens. Its emblem is a stamped design representing an anchor supporting a pen.

Early production includes safeties and classic black ebonite dropper models. It was not until 1929 that the company completely produced its first pens.

In the 1930s, the company, taken over by Alfredo Zanini, the son of the founder, moved to Arona. It then markets a range of Celluloid models with sophisticated colors and various aspects. And in the 1950s and 1960s, Ancora made injection-molded pens with nibs similar to Parker's "51". Tested, like all its competitors, by the arrival of the ballpoint, the brand tried to attract a younger and more popular clientele, but, despite its efforts, it had to cease its activities in 1975.

In 1997, Mr. Santini bought it and returned to the writing market with the “Paua”.

After years of oblivion, Ancora chose for this first model one of the oldest materials used for dressing pens, then long ignored because of its high cost: mother-of-pearl, or abalone. The tank, the cap and the section of the “Paua” are in ebonite, while the body is dressed in strips of mother-of-pearl. The transformation of the shell is a long-term job and it takes more than thirty manual operations to shape the body of each pen. The artisan specializing in this delicate work selects a shell for a pen, cleans it and cuts it into small fragments, patiently working its natural curve. Several strips about 50 millimeters long are reconstituted with an infinity of thin shards of a few millimeters, assembled one by one. The most beautiful pieces of mother-of-pearl are juxtaposed in a precious mosaic that hugs the red ebonite body of the pen. Thanks to this manual know-how and because no shell is alike, each pen is a unique piece.

Material: Orange Ebonite and Mother of Pearl

Nib: 18K Gold Nib

Furniture on Pen: Gold Plated Sterling Silver

Clip: takes the shape of the head of a little oriental dragon with topaz stones set in his eyes.

Piston: Spring loaded push filler.

Comes in its original box with papers (No outer cover) what you see is what you get.

Condition: Excellent

Do not be fooled by the numbers made (888) they made only a small quantity of this particular pen hence it is rare.