MONTBLANC Signs & Symbols The Yellow Dragon Limited Edition 88 Fountain Pen

Ref. 114330

Mod. M28741

Serial number: MBGF5TFQ44

Limited Edition: 43/88

Year: 2016 (opening model of the Signs & Symbols series)

Made in Germany

* Sealed *

Although some form of dragon exists in the folklore of almost every world culture, each is unique to itself. 

There is the snake-lion hybrid creature of the Orient, the Egyptian gatekeepers to the afterlife, the nine-headed and winged Hydra of Greek mythology, the Assyrian-Babylonian sea dragon, the befeathered Mexican snake god Quetzalcoatl, and, perhaps best known of all, the
many dragons of Chinese mythology. 

In contrast with most Western dragons, the East Asian dragon, in all its variations, never embodies a monstrous enemy that must be defeated. 

Rather, it is a positive creature with high spiritual power, which bestows luck, wealth, wisdom and peace on mankind.

The East Asian dragon - an ancient creature

Of all all the mythical creatures found within the East Asian circle of cultures, the dragon is one of the oldest and most important. 

The world's most ancient depictions of this animal are the shell mosaics found on China's Yellow River in a Yangshao grave dated to around 6500 years ago. 

Even today, the cultural significance of the dragon is great. 

Given its standing not only as one of the 12 zodiac symbols of the East Asian calendar, but also as one of the four direction or miracle animals, the dragon has a substantial influence over everyday occurances in East Asian life.
According to the scholar Wang Fu from the Han Dynasty, the mystical dragon god carries the attributes of differentanimals: it has the head of a camel, the eyes of a daemon, the horns of a stag, the ears of a cow, the neck of a snake and the belly of a clam. 

It also has tiger feet, eagle talons and the scaley body of a fish. 

Its call sounds like two copper kettles banging together.

The dragon character 

The character for ‘dragon' can be traced as far back as 4000 years ago, when it appears in the oracle bone script of the Shang period. 

The simplified dragon pictogram from this era is one of only a few characters used consistently through all the phases of development in the written language, right up to the short form used today. 

The character consists of two parts. 

The left part symbolises the head of the dragon; the right part symbolises its body. 

The character at the top left i recalls the horn of the dragon, but was first described as the ceremonial hat of a shaman and then as the great crown of an emperor. 

The right part shows a long, four-legged body with a tail. 

The concerned character doesn't only stand for the word dragon, it envisions the animal itself, its nature and its high rank.

Nine dragon sons - nine talents
In Chinese mythology, the ‘nine sons of the dragon’ symbolize nine different talents. They are found explicitly described for the first time as early as the Ming dynasty. 

The oldest dragon son is a great music lover and is frequently depicted on instruments. 

The battle-loving second son can be found on weapons of generals and royal guards. 

The adventure-seeking third son is honoured as a miraculous animal who can stop catastrophes. 

The fourth, known for making loud noises whenever it is struck, is depicted on bells. 

The fifth loves fre and smoke and is immortalised on incense holders.
The sixth resembles a turtle and is often found carrying heavy stone tablets. 

The seventh stands for justice, so its image is used on courts and prisons. 

The eighth son is the dragon of literature, often found decorating memorials as a symbol of knowledge. 

The ninth and final son, the steed of the rain god, likes to extinguish flames and is cherefore placed on
eaves as protection against fire.

The Yellow Dragon and imperial authority

Since the time of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, the Yellow Dragon has symbolised imperial power. 

The emperor was referred to as the 'true dragon, son of the sky'. 

His throne became known as ‘dragon throne', his cloak, 'dragon robe' and the ascention to the throne, 'dragon flight'. 

Only the imperial Yellow Dragon possessed five claws, all other dragons had only four or three. 

To wear robes bearing the Yellow Dragon with five claws was a privilege reserved for the emperor and high officials and scholars. 

An ordinary subject should neither possess nor wear such clothes. 

Failure to observe this was punishable by death. 

The Yellow Dragon is also bound metaphorically with the yellow earth of China, and sometimes symbolises Huang He, the Yellow River. 

He is often called the 'first dragon' because he appeared to Fu Xi, the ancestor of mankind, and offered him the Eight Trigrams of the I-Ching, thereby laying the foundations for the art of writing.

Montblanc Signs & Symbols, The Yellow Dragon Limited Edition 88

Over the centuries, myths and legends depict the East Asian dragon in a multitude of figures with numerous different traits.  

A few dragons have crystallised out of these myths to become the most honoured among their kind. 

These are: the Earth Dragon (Dilong), the Heaven Dragon (Tianlong), the Water Dragon
(Jiaolon), the Winged Dragon (Yinglong), The Blue Dragon (Qinglong) and the Yellow Dragon (Huanglong). 

To these noble dragons, deeply rooted in East Asian culture and equipped with great powers,
Montblanc dedicates a very special Limited Edition. 

The first in the series features Huanglong, the Yellow Dragon, depicted on the 925 sterling silver cap. 

With a red lacquer barrel, solid red gold fittings and an Amethyst set in the cone, this exquisite writing instrument is inspired by the imperial character of the Yellow Dragon.

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