This small Ligne 1 from 1998 belongs to S.T. Dupont’s Picasso edition, and the black Chinese lacquer is the point of departure for everything else on it. Against that deep, glassy black, the reproduced faun drawing sits in white, drawn with the loose, unbroken line that runs through so much of Picasso’s late work, and his signature is set alongside it in the same hand. The gold plating along the body and cap catches the light in the way that Ligne 1 owners will already know, but here it frames artwork rather than plain lacquer, which changes what you are looking at every time you take it out.

The edition exists because Picasso himself used S.T. Dupont lighters as a surface to draw and engrave on during the 1960s, and this run of six thousand pieces takes that history and puts it back into production, reproducing one of his recurring motifs directly onto the lacquer rather than leaving it plain. It is a piece made to be looked at as much as used, and the small Ligne 1 case, built for a pocket rather than a desk, means the artwork travels with you rather than sitting behind glass.

The lighter comes complete with its original box and papers, which matter on a limited edition like this one as much as the lighter itself. Condition is great, meaning only the light wear you would expect of a piece this age that has been kept with care rather than used hard. It has been fully serviced in our workshop, so the mechanism is ready to fill and use rather than simply admire, though most owners of this edition will want to think carefully about which they choose to do.

– Brand: S.T. Dupont
– Model: Ligne 1 BR Small
– Limited Edition: Picasso
– Serial Number: 3527/6000
– Accessories: Original Box & Papers
– Year: 1998
– Condition: Great

Please refer to the “Specifications” tab for detailed dimensions and approximate weight of the lighter.