What are most antique inkwells made from?

Metal leads the category. Brass and bronze together account for the largest share of titles, followed by glass wells and liners, then stone bases in marble, onyx and malachite. Carved wood forms a distinct group of its own in the Black Forest animals. Ceramic wells turn up only a handful of times.

Which period do they mostly date from?

The dated field runs from 1800 to 1940, and the centre of gravity is firmly late Victorian. The 1880s account for more listings than any other decade, with the 1900s and 1890s next. Roughly two in five listings give a period label rather than a year, so 19th Century, Victorian and Edwardian appear often in place of a date.

What is a Black Forest inkwell?

Carved wood animal work of Alpine type, applied to inkwells and stands. Bears, dogs, cats-in-boots, owls and hares recur across the listings. It makes up about one in eleven pieces on Sellingantiques, and many of the carvings carry inset glass eyes.

Are figural and animal inkwells common?

Yes. Novelty and figural pieces together make up roughly a fifth of the category, and they take up most of the upper range. Dogs and owls are the two animals that recur most. Lizards, hares, parrots, ostriches, a crocodile, a lobster and a dolphin each turn up only once or twice.

How do travelling inkwells differ?

They were made to be carried and closed, rather than to sit on a desk. Leather-covered cases are the usual form. They run as a small persistent thread through the listings, and the shapes get inventive: a miniature Gladstone bag, a terrestrial globe, a post office directory and boot forms all appear.

Do inkwells from outside England and France appear?

Rarely. The body of the category is English and French desk work of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Ottoman and Armenian scribe's pen boxes with attached wells, a Japanese Meiji silver elephant and a Russian gilt-bronze sleigh each appear once.

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Antique Inkwells

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A pot of ink for a dip pen, sometimes standing alone, more often set on a tray with a pen rest, made for the writing desk between about 1800 and 1940.