MONTBLANC | Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen
Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen
The latest annual writing instrument collection celebrates a pioneering author who revolutionized
fiction nearly 250 years ago with her groundbreaking subjects and style.
With its Writers Edition, Montblanc spotlights the creativity and artistry of the prolific writers who
shaped world literature and left a lasting imprint on culture. Reflecting Montblanc’s origins in the
culture of writing, each edition explores the universe of words created by the author with the
design of each writing instrument revisiting unforgettable stories.
The Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen pays tribute to one of Britain’s most celebrated novelists. Born in Hampshire, Jane Austen published Sense and Sensibility at the age of 35 and was only identified as the novel’s author posthumously with Persuasion and Northanger Abbey in 1818. Known for her social observation and wit, Austen’s works place her alongside Shakespeare in the history of English literature’s greats. Over 200 years after her death, her six novels—Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion—are beloved worldwide. Frequently translated and adapted, Austen’s works continue inspiring many adaptations, films, societies, and festivals, highlighting her enduring appeal. Each writing instrument in the collection represents a significant passion in Austen’s life. These central themes include the countryside, the house, the travel, and the ball, with every design detail illustrating the various sides of the author’s life and work. The wax seal that Austen used for the estimated 3,000 letters she wrote during her lifetime inspires the shape of all four editions. Three of these editions feature the words “By a Lady” on the cap top, reflecting how her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, was originally anonymously signed, while the fourth edition reveals her real name. The design on the nib showcases the silhouette of Jane Austen in a style reminiscent of Regency and Victorian shadow portraits, while the writing instruments’ clip shape draws inspiration from the band of a reticule, a pouch-like ladies’ handbag from the Regency era.
Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen – Limited Edition
The Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen Limited Edition captures in its details the author’s countryside life, reflecting her enduring love of nature. Many pivotal scenes in her novels take place outdoors, making the countryside a fitting inspiration for this limited edition. The barrel echoes the shape of a classical column from a Hampshire-style building and features Austen’s signature. The yellow gold-coated fittings and clip evoke the color of Hampshire’s flag, while the solid Au 750 rhodium-coated gold nib showcases a shadow portrait silhouette of Austen. The pattern on the cap mirrors the dark blue double-collared coats of Regency gentlemen like Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice. Meanwhile the cap ring features a floral design and the inscription “XLIII,” referencing Chapter 43 of the same work, where Elizabeth first sees Pemberley Woods. The floral design from the cap ring can also be found surrounding the Montblanc emblem on the cap top, alongside the inscription “By a Lady,” the pseudonym under which Austen signed her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility.
Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen – Limited Edition 1813
With a limitation number based on the publication year of Pride and Prejudice, the Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen Limited Edition 1813 is dedicated to Jane Austen’s house in Chawton, Hampshire, where she spent the last eight years of her life. It is here where her genius flourished and where she wrote, revised, and published all six of her universally beloved novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. Today, the house is open to the public as a small museum dedicated to the author’s life and work. The barrel of the writing instrument, crafted from precious hornbeam wood, finds its inspiration from a Regency and Victorian era piano that was found in Austen’s house. The frame and panel pattern on the yellow gold-coated cap, meanwhile, is reminiscent of the home’s fireplace, finished with a floral motif. The limited edition’s solid Au 750 gold bi-color nib presents a shadow portrait silhouette of Austen, while the yellow gold-coated cone, engraved with a floral pattern, the clip, inspired by the band of a reticule, and fittings evoke the yellow hues of Hampshire’s flag. The cap ring features Austen’s signature and the inscription “XXXIV,” referring to Chapter 34 of Pride and Prejudice, where Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, a turning point in the story. The cap ring’s design is completed with a floral motif, which can also be observed on the cap top ring. On the cap top, the Montblanc emblem crafted from Mother-of-pearl draws inspiration from piano keys and is surrounded by a floral pattern and Austen’s well-known words, “By a Lady.”
Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen – Limited Edition 97
Jane Austen’s intrepid love for travel is celebrated with the Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen Limited Edition 97. Her many letters to her sister, filled with detailed and humorous commentary describing her trips, show how the author relished any opportunity to get out and see the world— a trait mirrored in many of her heroines, from Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice to Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. Drawing inspiration from the period of horse travel during which Austen lived, the dégradé lacquer barrel features a wavy pattern mimicking the look of wafting horse hair, which is further surrounded by a solid Au 750 gold, ruthenium-coated skeleton structure representing a horse’s harness. The look of wafting horse hair can also be found in the fine lines on the cone made from solid Au 750 gold with ruthenium coating. The cap, crafted from yellow English cowhide leather and featuring a solid Au 750 gold, ruthenium-coated inlay, echoes the interior of a traveling coach. The initials found on the cap, “JA,” are drawn from the lettering on Austen’s letterbox. The solid Au 750 gold bi-color nib showcases an embossed shadow portrait silhouette of Jane Austen, this time wearing a traveling hat. The cap ring, made from ruthenium-coated solid Au 750 gold, reveals Austen’s signature and the inscription “LVI,” referencing Chapter 56 of Pride and Prejudice, where Lady Catherine de Bourgh visits Elizabeth in her carriage to remind her of her lower status. The cap ring’s design is completed with a floral motif, which can also be seen on the cap top ring. The cap top presents the Montblanc emblem in solid Au 750 signature gold, surrounded by a floral pattern and Austen’s words “By a Lady.”
Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen – Limited Edition 8
The final limited edition of the collection pays homage to the vibrant world of balls, which Jane Austen portrays in her novels as an important part of provincial life. These social events, where propriety and passion intertwine, are particularly central to Pride and Prejudice, where Austen masterfully uses them to display the evolving relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen Limited Edition 8 is a detailed and joyful ode to these lively events. A decorative needle case Jane Austen gifted to her niece, Louisa Knight, in the early 19th century inspires the feather motif on the cap and barrel, both crafted from solid Au 750 signature gold set with diamonds and precious stone inlays. The feather motif is interpreted in a mosaic featuring handmade inlays of yellow sapphires, turquoise, and brilliant cut diamonds. The delicate net pattern seen below the stone setting on both the cap and the barrel mimics the delicate lace dresses worn by Regency and Victorian women at the lavish balls.
While the forepart and fittings are crafted from solid Au 750 signature gold, the upper barrel ring features turquoise-colored lacquer in reference to the birthstone of December, Austen’s birth month. It is also a reference to the author’s turquoise ring. The solid Au 750 bi-color gold nib presents a special embossing, depicting Jane Austen wearing her ball jewellery in the style of a shadow portrait silhouette. The cap top boasts a Mother-of-pearl Montblanc emblem, surrounded by blue lacquer, solid Au 750 signature gold inlays, and crowned with a ruby. Engraved in the blue lacquer and circling the emblem are a floral pattern and the words “by Jane Austen,” finally revealing the author’s true identity.
As an added personal touch, the cap top ring features the names of the Bennet sisters and a ruby set as a rhombus. The cap ring, made from solid Au 750 signature gold, is engraved with the quote, “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love,” from Pride and Prejudice. Inspired by the band of a reticule, the clip has been coated with signature gold and set with a baguette-cut citrine, reminiscent of a pendant worn by Austen. The cone, crafted from solid Au 750 signature gold and set with a turquoise cabochon, features engraved instructions for a contemporary country dance:the turquoise cabochon on the cone marks the position of Mr. Darcy, while the ruby embedded in the cap top ring stands for Elizabeth.
Writing Accessories
Completing the Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen collection are an Ink and a cowhide leather Notebook in a dark blue color. Both feature a peacock pattern, celebrating the enduring association between this elegant bird and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Montblanc’s latest Writers Edition revisits the legacy of a beloved literary genius, writing a new chapter in her extraordinary story to be discovered.
The Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Jane Austen is available from July 2024 from Montblanc boutiques and online. For more information, visit www.montblanc.com.
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