Year of the Ox, a creation in the finest tradition of Chinese lacquer

Caran d’Ache pays homage to the fine arts through its “Chinese Calendar” collection, designed to bring the legend of the symbols of the Chinese zodiac to life.

The writing instruments in the Chinese Calendar collection embody the precious arts of figurative engraving and authentic Chinese lacquer, long cultivated in the Caran d’Ache workshops. Fruits of the master craftsmen’s creative passion and their tireless search for perfection, these veritable works of art bear witness to the perfect union of high technicality and ancestral arts and crafts.

With its “Chinese calendar” collection, Caran d’Ache brings the legend of the symbols of the Chinese zodiac to life. The new “Year of the Ox” limited edition creation carries on the tradition of this collection of exceptional writing instruments to celebrate the advent of the Chinese Year of the Ox in 2021.

In the Chinese zodiac, the ox symbolises good fortune and prosperity. The year of the ox will be punctuated by numerous challenges, and if the effort made is sufficient, success will be guaranteed. A year under the aegis of the ox is therefore often synonymous with ambition and the consolidation of achievements.
 

In keeping with the aesthetics of previous limited editions dedicated to the signs of the Chinese zodiac, the ‘Year of the Ox’ revives the splendour of genuine Chinese lacquer. A natural product derived from the sap of the Rhus Verniciflua tree, Chinese lacquer offers the master craftsmen at Caran d’Ache great freedom in creating incredibly precise illustrations without spoiling the lacquered surface. 

Caran d’Ache is currently one of only two western companies that holds the secret to this ancestral technique handed down by the great masters of the Orient. It takes twelve days to apply the numerous layers of Chinese lacquer by hand.