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Lot 1087
AURORA: Etiopia White Celluloid WWII Trench Pen, Rare, c.1936
16 June 2015, 10:00 PDT
San FranciscoUS$2,000 - US$3,000
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AURORA: Etiopia White Celluloid WWII Trench Pen, Rare, c.1936
More than any other, perhaps, the Aurora Etiopia illustrates how writing instruments and history can intersect in fascinating ways. A beautifully designed pen with a troublesome backstory, the Etiopia was created to commemorate Italy's victory over Ethiopia and the foundation of the Italian Empire. Intended for use by soldiers in the extreme heat of desert trenches, where ordinary ink would soon evaporate, the pen employed an unusual filling system: a soldier would fill the pen with water and add a special ink pill (stored in a hidden chamber in the pen's base). Few of the pens survive, and the Etiopia has become something of an obsession for many vintage pen collectors.
The pen's rarity is a favorite subject of conjecture among vintage penmen. Some say wartime production was limited, others say sales were low, and others surmise that after the war many were destroyed by owners eager to leave the past behind. Some claim that as few as ten survive.
Ivory-colored celluloid, gold-plated trim, imperial Roman eagle emblem generally bright and legible with light rubs, "blind cap" endpiece for ink pill torages, replacement nib marked "Ital Stilo 18 / 8". Very good condition.
-Lambrou, Andreas. Fountain Pens of the World. [Los Angeles: 2005], pp. 314-316 ("During 1935, coinciding with Italy's invasion of Abyssinia, Aurora produced a special pen for Italian servicemen abroad. Called Ethiopia (sic), it was made from a brilliant white celluloid and had an engraving of an imperial Roman eagle on the cap. The pen was an eye-dropper and dried ink granules could be mixed with water to produce the necessary writing ink."
The pen's rarity is a favorite subject of conjecture among vintage penmen. Some say wartime production was limited, others say sales were low, and others surmise that after the war many were destroyed by owners eager to leave the past behind. Some claim that as few as ten survive.
Ivory-colored celluloid, gold-plated trim, imperial Roman eagle emblem generally bright and legible with light rubs, "blind cap" endpiece for ink pill torages, replacement nib marked "Ital Stilo 18 / 8". Very good condition.
-Lambrou, Andreas. Fountain Pens of the World. [Los Angeles: 2005], pp. 314-316 ("During 1935, coinciding with Italy's invasion of Abyssinia, Aurora produced a special pen for Italian servicemen abroad. Called Ethiopia (sic), it was made from a brilliant white celluloid and had an engraving of an imperial Roman eagle on the cap. The pen was an eye-dropper and dried ink granules could be mixed with water to produce the necessary writing ink."