Palomino Blackwing Pencils: Volume 3, Ravi Shankar
Blackwing’s Volumes are always so pleasing to the eye, but we are especially impressed by the beautiful details on each pencil in Vol. 3! The turmeric-coloured eraser is a new colour designed specifically for this pencil and the designs on the pencil body are just lovely.
Known as the Godfather of World Music, Ravi Shankar, born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, was an Indian musician and composer. He was born on April 7, 1920, in Varanasi, India, and died on December 11, 2012, in San Diego, California. Because of his incredible legacy, Blackwing used his work as inspiration for a new pencil design!
Volume 3, the Ravi Shankar pencil, is the latest edition of Blackwing’s quarterly special edition releases. It has extra-firm graphite, which is excellent for lighter lines and writing. The pencil itself is turmeric in colour with a slightly darker shade for the designs. The ferrule (the part that connects the body of the pencil to the eraser) is gold and the eraser is also turmeric, a new colour specially designed for this release that perfectly matches the body of the pencil.
If you’re new to Blackwing, you might not know that each special edition release has a number attached to it that is inspired by the topic of that volume. The 3 in this volume represents the three phonetic components in ॐ, the sacred Sanskrit symbol: waking, dreaming, and unconscious states of being. The ॐ is also found printed across the pencil, in addition to light florals and leaves. The design is inspired by one of Ravi Shankar’s iconic sitars, and this release coincides with the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Shankar’s music, which you can find in this Spotify playlist put together by The Guardian, has been incredibly influential in bringing Indian music to new audiences, especially in the West. Shankar received a PhD from Cal Arts and has honorary doctorates from 14 universities across the world, including Harvard. He won numerous awards for his music in his lifetime, but perhaps most notably he won the Polar Music Prize, known as the Nobel Prize of music. Additionally, among other accolades and honours from countries around the world, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest award for any civilian in India.
Extra-firm graphite, like the type that is in Vol. 3, is especially great for taking on the go. The harder the graphite, the less you will have to sharpen it, which makes it great for long writing sessions at your favourite patio restaurant or coffee shop.
He donated all of his prize money from his awards to his charity, the Ravi Shankar Foundation. This organization functions as an archive for all of Shankar’s important achievements, but more importantly it aims to “preserve the diversity of cultures and richness of their arts.” A portion of each sale of the Vol. 3 pencils will also go to support the foundation.
Though an influential musician in his own right, he is perhaps most famous in the West for his collaborations with George Harrison, the guitarist for The Beatles. After meeting George Harrison in Bath, United Kingdom, he hesitantly agreed to teach him how to play the sitar. With the success of Shankar’s influence on Harrison’s music, other acts like The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, and The Animals also started to use the sitar in some of their songs with great success as well.
Shankar is survived by his two daughters, and you may have heard of them too! Norah Jones, named the top jazz artist of the 2000s by Billboard Magazine, has won nine Grammy awards and continues to make music today. Anoushka Shankar also follows in her father’s musical footsteps and learned to play the sitar at age 7. She has gone on to be nominated for several Grammy awards and was the youngest and first woman nominee in the World Music category for her third album, Live at Carnegie Hall. She is also known for her activism and for continuing to bring traditionally Indian music to new audiences.
These pencils are sold in boxes of 12 on our website or individually in store. They are the second special edition release to use Blackwing’s new stand-up box, which makes for easier storage and access. Be sure to pick up yours while they last because, as with all special edition releases, we won’t be able to get more once they’re sold out. Whether you’re a fan of Shankar’s work or you just love the design of this pencil (we don’t blame you!), we think that this is a great addition to any pencil case.
What’s your favourite Ravi Shankar song, and what special person should Blackwing honour next? Let us know in the comments!