{"product_id":"ap-limited-editions-connoisseur-imperial-lacquer-art-fountain-pen-irresistible-dragon-by-kurkina-limited-edition-08-09","title":"AP Limited Editions Connoisseur Imperial Lacquer Art Fountain Pen - Irresistible Dragon by Kurkina - Limited Edition 08\/09","description":"\u003cp\u003eAP Limited Editions' Irresistible Dragon is a Russian lacquer art fountain pen built around one of the most enduring symbols in Asian visual culture: the dragon as an emblem of strength, movement, prosperity, and good fortune. This example is numbered 08\/09 and attributed to Palekh master Natalia Kurkina, placing it within an edition of only nine pieces worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePalekh Miniature Painting\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe composition is dominated by a brilliant orange-and-gold dragon moving through stylized clouds against a dramatic black-to-red lacquer ground. The creature is rendered with unusually fine scale work, especially through the face, individual scales, flowing body, and surrounding ornamental borders. The surrounding clouds are not passive background. They curl and shift around the dragon, reinforcing the sense that the animal is actively shaping the scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContemporary dealer documentation specifically identifies Irresistible Dragon as a Palekh lacquer work. That tradition is known for dense miniature imagery, saturated color, fine linear detail, and luminous accents, all qualities that translate particularly well to AP's oversized lacquer pens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe Story Behind the Artwork\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn East Asian traditions, the dragon differs fundamentally from the destructive monster of much Western folklore. It is closely associated with vitality, authority, weather, water, fertility, and auspicious power. Its command of clouds is therefore especially meaningful: clouds signal movement between realms, changing weather, and the promise of rain, while the dragon becomes the force that directs them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKurkina's composition leans into that dynamism. The body twists across the curved surface rather than sitting in a static heraldic pose, while the red and black ground creates a sense of heat and depth beneath the brighter scales. As the pen turns, different sections of the dragon emerge and disappear, giving the miniature painting a cinematic quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCollector Significance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnly nine examples were produced. Historical dealer material placed the model at an $18,000 retail value, with at least one example previously offered at $14,400 before selling out. Current availability of the exact model is effectively nonexistent, which makes surviving examples difficult to price from conventional comparable sales alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a collector, the appeal lies in the combination of an important symbolic subject, named artist attribution, Palekh technique, and an edition small enough that each example is inherently scarce. Number 08\/09 preserves all of those elements in one of AP Limited Editions' most visually immediate Russian lacquer designs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWriting Configuration\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eExtra Fine, Fine, Medium, and Broad nibs are available for installation at the time of order. The physical pen body is shared across these nib choices, allowing the collector to select the preferred writing point without changing the artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrand:\u003c\/strong\u003e AP Limited Editions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eModel:\u003c\/strong\u003e Irresistible Dragon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist Attribution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natalia Kurkina\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 08\/09\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDecoration:\u003c\/strong\u003e Palekh Russian lacquer miniature painting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e Orange-and-gold dragon with stylized clouds on a black-to-red ground\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAvailable Nib Sizes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"AP Limited Editions","offers":[{"title":"Extra Fine","offer_id":54639637758227,"sku":"AP-C-ILA-ID-EF","price":25000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine","offer_id":54639637790995,"sku":"AP-C-ILA-ID-F","price":25000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Medium","offer_id":54639637823763,"sku":"AP-C-ILA-ID-M","price":25000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Broad","offer_id":54639637856531,"sku":"AP-C-ILA-ID-B","price":25000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2083\/6627\/files\/AP-Limited-Editions-Connoisseur-Imperial-Lacquer-Art-Fountain-Pen-Irresistible-Dragon-by-Kurkina-Limited-Edition-08_09-uncapped-leaning.jpg?v=1788548095","url":"https:\/\/www.truphaeinc.com\/products\/ap-limited-editions-connoisseur-imperial-lacquer-art-fountain-pen-irresistible-dragon-by-kurkina-limited-edition-08-09","provider":"Truphae","version":"1.0","type":"link"}