Scripting some aromatherapy

In today’s digital world, where our fingers sometimes seem mere instruments for use on our keyboards or number pads, a pen might be used mostly to write a cheque or sign a document. But this pen by Visconti might have you wanting to brandish it much more often. For it comes with a piece of perfumed wood. And it costs ₹3.65 lakh.

William Penn, the writing instruments retailer, has brought three pieces of the Visconti Extase d’Oud Limited Edition Fountain Pen, to India. Oud, or agarwood, is a favoured fragrance in West Asia where it is used as an essence or burned in small braziers to release its aroma. At the pen’s head is a small container to store a fragment of agarwood, and a spongy portion that can be soaked with the essence. The lower part of the pen has a metal container in which the essence can be placed to be used as perfume. The pen comes in a decorated wooden box with a bottle each of the essence and agarwood-scented ink.

Anita Paily, Head of Customer Care, William Penn, says the filigree design on the pen and the box it comes in is inspired by the logo of the Dubai 2020 expo. “The pen is an ode to West Asia,” she says. What happens when the ink and the fragrance are exhausted? Will the ₹3.65-lakh pen cease to write, one asks anxiously. Paily reassures you that the essence and the ink can be easily substituted. Next time you fancy sandalwood, or vetiver, go for those!

Why is it so expensive, anyway? It is a limited edition, there are only 388 pieces. It is made of gold-coated sterling silver and the nib is pure, 23k palladium. One order has been placed for it, says Paily, explaining that it’s mostly collectors who buy such pens.

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