Origin
Inspired by Alice in Wonderland's (Carroll, 1865) illustrious Queen of Hearts, this fountain pen combines the fiery passion of the iconic villain with the subtlety and gentility of Japanese craftsmanship. In Lewis Carroll's book, the Queen of Hearts is depicted as a childish monarch in Wonderland, which is further reinforced by her catchphrase - "Off with their heads!" Although she is regarded as a fearsome ruler, this is counteracted by her husband, the King of Hearts, who would pardon people or cancel the executions, and the Queen of Hearts herself would overlook this in silent acknowledgment that she may have been too hasty with her actions.
With the Queen of Hearts Fountain Pen, we wanted to create a fountain pen that had the fierceness of its titular character, yet the grace and judgment of her husband and foil, the King of Hearts.
By doing so, we have captured the powerful beauty of a Queen and the control of a King, and manifested it into the form of a fountain pen.
Body
We decided to select the color red for the cap of the Queen of Hearts Fountain Pen, the color 'black' for the body to represent strength and a stalwart form, and a silver ring inbetween to symbolize binding for eternity.
Since the Middle Ages, Western Kings and Queens - of France and England, specifically - have considered the color 'red' to be a symbol of royalty and authority.
In fact, it was even rumored that Queen Victoria wanted to punish anyone outside of the Royal Family for wearing red or purple. Although we have thankfully moved beyond those days, the color has still regained its regal image, and it remains customary for a new King and Queen to wear a red cape as they are crowned.
Across the black body of the fountain pen, however, are delicate flecks of silver that resemble a constellation of stars across a clear night sky. The bottom of the pen, like the cap, is red, which was specifically done to represent the French King Charlemagne, who wore red shoes at his coronation to represent his right to rule, and the might of his power. The 18K Rhodium-plated nib represents the deadly elegance of a ruler's sword.
Finally, when looking at the Queen of Hearts in a deck of cards, each face-card is depicted in a mirror-image orientation so that the person who placed the card and their opponent sitting across from them will not have any difficulty in identifying the card. While we were not able to achieve the same with the fountain pen, we made sure to choose this structure to allow the user to post the pen (uncapping the pen and placing the cap over the body) in an attempt to mimic it from a functional - if not visual - perspective.
