"Temple of Heaven" (Tien Tan / 天壇牌) pencil, HB grade — pictorial barrel
Entry/Object ID
2026.2.2
Description
Round wood-cased pencil with a brass-colored crimped ferrule and a red rubber eraser at one end; the opposite end is blunt/unsharpened. Cream/natural barrel printed with a multicolored pictorial design (small figures, goldfish, and foliage) bordered by wavy black rules, with the maker's imprint and pagoda logo near the ferrule end. Both images show the same single pencil rotated to two sides.
Acquisition
Accession
2026.2
Source or Donor
Alberto Darias Marcos
Made/Created
Place
City
Harbin
Country
People's Republic of China
Continent
Asia
Edition
"Temple of Heaven" (Tien Tan / 天壇牌) brand
Notes
Maker: The specific factory/company is not confirmed beyond the brand-and-city imprint.
Date: Uncertain; not independently datable. The orthography and romanization — traditional characters (天壇, 鉛筆) with Wade-Giles "TIEN TAN"/"HARBIN" and Latin "CHINA" for export — are consistent with mid-20th-century Chinese export production (circa 1950s–1970s). Possibly within the collection's 1959–1990 window but not confirmable. Tentative — see Flags.
Inscription/Signature/Marks
Notes
Temple of Heaven pagoda logo; "TIEN TAN"; 天壇牌鉛筆 ("Temple of Heaven brand pencil"); "HARBIN"; grade "HB"; "CHINA"; "NO. ___" (model number, only partially legible); printed pictorial design on the barrel.
Materials
Material Notes
Materials: Wood barrel (cedar or basswood); graphite/clay lead (HB); brass-colored metal ferrule; rubber eraser; lithographed/printed lacquer finish.
Technique: Mass-manufactured wood-cased pencil; barrel lacquered and offset/litho-printed with pictorial design and brand imprint; ferrule crimped; eraser inserted.
Condition
Overall Condition
Good
Relationships
Related Places
Place
City
Harbin
Country
People's Republic of China
Continent
Asia
Notes
production
Place
City
Havana
Country
Cuba
Region
Caribbean, Central America
Notes
use
Research Notes
Notes
The brand is the well-known Chinese landmark Temple of Heaven (Tiantan, Beijing); "Temple of Heaven" / 天壇 has been used as a Chinese export trademark across multiple product categories. The Temple of Heaven (simplified 天坛; traditional 天壇; pinyin Tiāntán) is a complex of imperial religious buildings in southeastern central Beijing. Harbin is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang province, China.
