INSPIRATION IN EVERY DETAIL - PEN OF THE YEAR 2024
SERDAR GÜLGÜN
The Pen of the Year 2024 has been designed by a leading expert in Ottoman art, Serdar Gülgün. His passion for “Turquerie” was kindled in his native city of Istanbul, whose art, architecture and opulent mix of textures and colours still influence him to this day. As a designer, Serdar Gülgün creates works for highly prestigious hotels and brands worldwide, and he has also infused the Pen of the Year with that artistic sophistication that makes his style so unique. When describing himself, he says:
“I am a translator, I transform the old into something new.”
FROM THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE TO WESTERN EUROPE
THE OPULENT STYLE OF TURQUERIE
“I love Turquerie as an era when Ottoman style, music, painting, architecture and artefacts fascinated and inspired people in many European countries.” says designer and author Serdar Gülgün. Europeans from the 16th century onwards were impressed by luxury goods such as precious spices, fine fabrics and extravagant interiors from the Far East and increasingly incorporated these elements into their own lives. Symbols and aesthetic details like crescent moons, tassels and turbans were in vogue, Ottoman-inspired tents adorned European gardens, and Turkish salons in magnificent palaces were furnished with luxurious carpets, canopies and elaborate ornaments.
Ottoman Empire
POWERFUL SYMBOLISM
In the Ottoman Empire, the crescent moon that adorns the cap of the Pen of the Year was considered a good omen. Tassels crafted by masterful hands were a symbol of power and embellished clothing as status symbols.
ELEGANT CROWN
The end piece of the cap of the Pen of the Year 2024 is reminiscent of the ornate dome of an Ottoman tent.
A PIECE OF OTTOMAN CULTURE IN EUROPEAN GARDENS
SPLENDOR UNDER THE CANOPY OF A TENT
Ottoman-inspired tents adorned numerous European parks and palace gardens during the “Turquerie” movement, while entire rooms in castles and stately homes were furnished in the Turkish style. “Those blue-and-white striped tents, adorned with tassels and arrow patterns, were my greatest source of inspiration for the Pen of the Year. They are expressed in the form of guilloche chevron ornaments under blue lacquer inlays between platinumplated metal strips”, explains designer Serdar Gülgün.
OTTOMAN TEXTILE ART
The tents inspired by the Ottoman Empire during the “Turquerie” movement were produced from the finest silk and stood in many Western European gardens and parks.
Platinum-plated inner sleeve
REFINED, INSIDE AND OUT
Sacred relics, the finest jewellery, exquisite porcelain and immeasurably valuable robes – the Imperial Treasury in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul is one of the world‘s most significant and is kept securely behind the palace‘s high walls. A genuine treasure is also hidden inside the Pen of the Year 2024:
the platinum-plated inner sleeve is decorated with intricate embellishments and becomes visible when the barrel is unscrewed.
A PIECE OF OTTOMAN CULTURE IN EUROPEAN GARDENS
TORTOISE LIGHT IN THE TULIP GARDEN
“The tortoise is my favourite animal; it is a symbol of longevity and wisdom,” says Serdar Gülgün. The engraved tortoise in the domed end piece of the Pen of the Year not only represents the luck it promises, but also recalls an event from the Tulip Era. Ottoman sultans fastened candles to the shells of live tortoises and watched the animals wander leisurely through their magnificent tulip gardens at night, casting a mystical light on the flowers – in homage to contemplation and taking things slow.
“THE TORTOISE TRAINER”
from 1906 is a prominent painting on display in Istanbul´s Pera museum.
Limited to 315 fountain pens and 85 rollerball pens
LIMITED AND HIGH-CARAT
The exclusive “Turquerie” edition of the Pen of the Year 2024 is limited to 315 fountain pens and 85 rollerball pens. The platinum-plated metal barrel is adorned with 18 precious rubies. Tassels and crescent moons on the cap once symbolised power, and the end piece of the cap features a stylised dome of an Ottoman tent. The fine chevron pattern decorates the barrel, cap and grip and is enhanced with decorative lacquer inlays. The 18-carat magnum bicolour gold nib promises unique writing pleasure. An engraved tortoise – a symbol of luck in the Ottoman Empire – adorns the domed end cap. The inside of the Pen of the Year reveals the intricately decorated inner sleeve. The “Turquerie” cultural fashion trend brought Ottoman style to Western Europe, where it had a great influence on aesthetics. This era created a romanticised image of the Ottoman Empire that continues to fascinate to this day.
OTTOMAN CULTURE
You want to learn more about the design process of this Pen of the Year? Then you will find some more detailed information here.
CELEBRATED EXOTICISM
Whether a garden tent or a Turkish salon – the detailed aesthetics of the Ottoman Empire gradually permeated everyday life in Western Europe during the “Turquerie” period.
PRICELESS ADORNMENTS
RUBIES, GOLD AND TULIPS
To adorn jewellery, weapons and precious items, the Ottomans used generous amounts of sparkling gemstones.
Likewise, the barrel and cap of the Pen of the Year are adorned with 18 bright red rubies, each 2.2 millimetres in diameter.
Serdar Gülgün says: “I used cabochons for the Pen of the Year to evoke associations with the magnificent aesthetics of the Ottomans.”
TREASURES
The Ottomans adorned their most valuable treasures with gold, gemstones and marble.
FASHION
Women wore turbanlike headpieces and men wore coats resembling kaftans.
ORNAMENTS
The “Turquerie” movement saw the appearance of floral ornaments on clothing, furniture and in architecture.
GUILLOCHE
Fine, interwoven lines form the guilloche, reminiscent of the geometric motifs of the Ottomans.
