Inkwell - patinated metal

A very handsome and finely detailed antique desk ornament in the shape of a medieval knight’s helmet on a bust. This type of figurative ink pot hails from the late 19th or early 20th century (Belle Époque / Art Nouveau period) and is a beautiful collectible for lovers of historicism and curiosa. The object features a clever double mechanism: The visor at the front can be folded up separately. Via the sturdy rear hinge, connected to the three stylized plumes (the helmet plume), the entire top of the helmet can be tilted backward. When the helmet is opened, the expressive, stern-looking face of a mustached knight becomes visible. In the head there is a recess with a removable glass ink pot (included). This type of casting was later also used as a housing for mechanical desk implements, but this specimen is the classic version as an ink pot. The whole is made of heavy cast metal (bronze-colored patinated spiatro or brass) with detailed reliefs on the breastplate. The object is in a beautiful, authentic vintage condition with a characterful age patina that wonderfully accentuates the details.