Inkwell - Crystal
Starting bid
€ 1
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Selected by Elena Napoleone
Holds a bachelor's degree in history of art and architecture, with 12 years of experience in decorative arts.
Estimate € 80 - € 120
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Description from the seller
Crystal cut and gilt-brass desk inkwell, France, late 19th century
This desk inkwell, compact in size — 10 cm tall with an 8 x 8 cm base — consists of a body in square-section cut crystal with slightly rounded corners, entirely faceted on all faces in a pattern of bevelled squares arranged in a quincunx, typical of the work of the major French crystalworks of the second half of the 19th century. The upper part of the body is sunken into a basin to receive the pen tray; this central groove in the form of a molded tongue allowed the nib to be placed and rested without rolling. The whole rests in a gilt brass frame with friezes of vertical, open-work channels, forming an elegant base supported on four turned-ball feet, also in gilt brass, at the base corners. The lid, hinged, is hemispherical, in gilt brass with a honey patina, on which a cursive monogram with interlaced two letters is engraved — presumably the owner’s initials — surrounded by black calligraphic flourishes, a treatment characteristic of the personalization of prestigious desk objects under the Second Empire and the Third Republic.
The desk inkwell, or écritoire, is one of the most representative objects of the culture of writing that has dominated European bourgeois interiors and administrative offices from the 17th century up to the widespread use of the refillable fountain pen, and then the ballpoint pen in the mid-20th century. It was the central element of the desk set, surrounded by its pen tray, blotter, paper cutter, and hourglass, forming a coherent whole in crystal and gilt bronze that French goldsmiths and crystal-makers produced in large series while offering customizable versions. The faceted cut crystal, a specialty of Baccarat, Saint-Louis, or Val-Saint-Lambert crystal works, was the material of choice for these objects, its transparency heightening the ink color visible through the walls, and its many facets creating prism-like light effects highly valued under the Napoleon III style.
The monogram engraved on the cap of the lid indicates that this inkwell was a personalized object, ordered either as a professional gift or as a showpiece on a representative desk.
The left rear foot is slanted. A small 5 mm chip in the crystal at the rear, near the lid.
Crystal cut and gilt-brass desk inkwell, France, late 19th century
This desk inkwell, compact in size — 10 cm tall with an 8 x 8 cm base — consists of a body in square-section cut crystal with slightly rounded corners, entirely faceted on all faces in a pattern of bevelled squares arranged in a quincunx, typical of the work of the major French crystalworks of the second half of the 19th century. The upper part of the body is sunken into a basin to receive the pen tray; this central groove in the form of a molded tongue allowed the nib to be placed and rested without rolling. The whole rests in a gilt brass frame with friezes of vertical, open-work channels, forming an elegant base supported on four turned-ball feet, also in gilt brass, at the base corners. The lid, hinged, is hemispherical, in gilt brass with a honey patina, on which a cursive monogram with interlaced two letters is engraved — presumably the owner’s initials — surrounded by black calligraphic flourishes, a treatment characteristic of the personalization of prestigious desk objects under the Second Empire and the Third Republic.
The desk inkwell, or écritoire, is one of the most representative objects of the culture of writing that has dominated European bourgeois interiors and administrative offices from the 17th century up to the widespread use of the refillable fountain pen, and then the ballpoint pen in the mid-20th century. It was the central element of the desk set, surrounded by its pen tray, blotter, paper cutter, and hourglass, forming a coherent whole in crystal and gilt bronze that French goldsmiths and crystal-makers produced in large series while offering customizable versions. The faceted cut crystal, a specialty of Baccarat, Saint-Louis, or Val-Saint-Lambert crystal works, was the material of choice for these objects, its transparency heightening the ink color visible through the walls, and its many facets creating prism-like light effects highly valued under the Napoleon III style.
The monogram engraved on the cap of the lid indicates that this inkwell was a personalized object, ordered either as a professional gift or as a showpiece on a representative desk.
The left rear foot is slanted. A small 5 mm chip in the crystal at the rear, near the lid.
Details
Era
1400-1900
Material
Crystal
Country of origin
France
Condition
Fair condition - heavily used & with possibly minor parts missing
Height
10 cm
Width
8 cm
Depth
8 cm
Estimated period
1850-1900
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