Inkwell - Marble

An elegant and monumental double inkstand desk set mounted on a rectangular base finished in black Portoro marble. This marble variety was particularly popular in West Europe during the 19th century for high-end interior objects. The marble has a deep black, compact base that is intensely broken by wavering veins in shades of gold, bronze, and soft yellow. The marble slab rests on a finely chiseled brass frame, patinated, decorated with a classic leaf border and placed on four stylized legs. The top features two identical heavy inkwells made of thick clear glass. The wells are set in brass frames and are closed by hinged, dome-shaped lids in patinated brass. Behind the inkwells there is a subtly integrated brass pen holder.

This type of inkstand, often referred to as an écriture, was at the turn of the century the ultimate status symbol on the writing desk of European elites. The design heavily leans on neoclassical formal language, which at the time was experiencing a revival. The symmetrical arrangement with two inkwells was functionally strictly separated: one pot for black or blue ink and the second for red ink or blotting sand.