Esterbrook Limited Edition Estie Fountain Pen Sunflower
Esterbrook Limited Edition Estie Fountain Pen Sunflower
5000 years ago, the sunflower was worshipped by the Incas. This disc made up of tiny flowers was an expression of their adoration of the sun and its life - giving rays. Its many medicinal uses made it a prized bloom and its growing pattern of tilting towards the sun was a symbol of seeking light and truth in ancient times. These beginnings gave rise to the sunflower becoming an emblem of beauty and hope and the subject of writings, medical journals and art throughout history, perhaps no more boldly than in the renderings of them by Vincent Van Gogh. The Dutch artist began to paint sunflowers in Paris towards the end of the 19 th century. While other artists thought the flowers to be coarse and unrefined, Van Gogh revered them. Upon moving to his “Yellow House” in Arles, he decorated his guest room for the artist Paul Gauguin with his still lifes of Sunflowers. Originally intended to be a series of twelve, only seven were completed, five of which remain in museum collections, one in the hands of a private collect or and one thought to be lost during the second world war. Van Gogh was a brilliant colorist, and it is documented that he only used three shades of yellow for his Sunflowers. It is the glorious harmony of these colors that is the inspiration for our newest limited edition Estie: The Sunflower. While Van Gogh is best known as a painter, he was also one of the most prolific letter writers of all times. An avid reader of the classics, Van Gogh was an excellent wordsmith, penning over 2000 letters in his short lifetime. Over 800 of his letters survive and some critics say they stand on their own in the canon of world literature; yet another of his masterpieces. Thus, as a tribute to the art of letter writing and his iconic place in art history, we dedicate this Estie to the towering and majestic Sunflower and the artist synonymous with them: Vincent Van Gogh.

The Estie fountain pen is equipped with a high-quality, German-made nib and features a unique cushion-cap closure. To add more nostalgia to the collection, the Estie is the first fountain pen from Esterbook to accept the MV Nib Adaptor. After months of research and testing, a special adaptor was engineered to allow select modern day Esterbrook pens to hold vintage Esterbrook nibs, a huge number of which are still available in the after market. The Adaptor gripping section is contoured in a shape similar to Esterbrook grips from the early 1950s and 60s to provide comfort and writing control. The threaded front section will accept most Esterbrook nibs and is designed to allow seamless ink flow from a cartridge or converter.