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An extremely rare and important Parker Ribbon eyedropper-filler fountain pen, 14K gold-filled, hand-engraved with highly repoussé ribbon and flower motifs over tree bark surface. 154mm. Large No. 4 Parker Lucky Curve heart-vent nib, light-to-medium flex. Very fine to excellent condition, clean and bright, cartouche not engraved, several tiny dings to endpiece, threaded part of nib section rather short, overall in a remarkable state of preservation, possibly the finest example of this pen in existence.
Surpassing even the coveted Parker No. 58, 59 and 60 "Aztecs" in scarcity, the uncatalogued Parker Ribbon is the rarest of the rare; indeed, it stands as the truest Grail for serious Parker collectors and connoisseurs of early eyedropper pens. This hand-engraved instrument was available for a limited time by special order only. Little is known about the pen's origins, although it has been speculated that the model was intended as a wedding gift, as suggested by the ribbon-and-flower decoration. The pen is not illustrated in Lambrou's Fountain Pens of the World, and only an elite number of top collectors can claim to have laid eyes on an example.
"Ribbon pens are as scarce as the proverbial 'hen's teeth' and as beautiful a product ever made by Parker - or made by anyone else for that matter. There are only a few examples known to exist, and each is slightly different in design and craftsmanship." - Stan Pfeiffer, Confessions of a Parker Pen Addict. Stylus Magazine, Oct.-Nov. 2008, pp.68-69.