Pelikan Golden Dynasty (1995) - Asia Limited Edition

The first release of the Asia limited edition was the Golden Dynasty (1995), based on the dragon motif. ​Although changing its appearance and standing in different countries and eras, the dragon has consistently existed as a symbol of power and wealth. In particular, the dragon was the symbol of the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. In the Qing dynasty, the emperor's dragon was yellow or gold (it was red in the Ming dynasty. The emperor's family name was “朱(Zhu); vermillion”). The dragon had one thing in common: it was a dragon with five claws, called the five-clawed dragon and was used as the symbol of the emperor during the Qing dynasty, as the highest-ranking dragon. Then, the five-clawed dragon became one of the most representative symbols of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, only four-clawed dragons were allowed to be used by the imperial family, and only three-clawed dragons were allowed to be used by officials and commoners as a symbol of the lower classes. If anyone other than the emperor used the five-clawed dragon, he was punished severely as a criminal. Even when performing the role of an emperor in plays, only four-clawed dragons were allowed to be used, and the fact that the four-clawed dragon is often used in the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac in the calendar shows how widely the five-clawed dragon was recognized as a symbol of the emperor (KINGDOM NOTE).  
 
The Golden Dynasty was made on the Toledo M900 basis, with the sleeve made of 925 solid sterling silver, which was plated with 24-carat gold, was decorated with artful engravings. Two dragons are depicted that are playing with a ball in the sky, shortly before disappearing behind rain clouds. According to Chinese mythology, this playing of the dragons calls the rain (Pelikan Passion). Naturally, the two dragons have five claws.
 
The outer box and the pamphlet depict the third Qing emperor, Shunzhi in 袞龍袍 (Dragon robe) decorated with the five-clawed dragons. The emperor, Shunzhi (順治帝) was the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He was responsible for solidifying the foundation of the Qing dynasty and guiding it through the next three dynasties of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors, the Golden Age of the Qing dynasty. By the way, his portrait is reversed left to right from the original (Fig.6) preserved in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Unlike the series that followed, this model was made of black resin instead of the azure color symbolizing the dragon⁽¹⁾, and it does not have animal in its name. But, needless to say, the Golden dynasty is closely related to the “dragon”.
 
Note;⁽¹⁾Black is the basic color of the famous Chinese lacquered objects (Pelikan Schreibgeräte).