Sterling Silver Inkpot
A sterling silver inkpot brings the weight of a working desk from the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco eras directly into your room.
Sterling Silver Inkpot
A sterling silver inkpot is a desk accessory designed to hold ink for a pen, appearing here in forms such as capstan inkwells, novelty items, and cut glass vessels.
The versions most likely to be met on this page span the late nineteenth century through to the nineteen-thirties, covering Victorian, Edwardian, George V, and Art Deco styles.
These items range from large capstan shapes and paired desk pieces to small designs featuring guilloche enamel floral medallions.
How they were made
Maker construction combines sterling silver mounts and collars with bodies formed from cut glass or solid silver.
Decorative work involves applied guilloche enamel in floral medallion patterns on selected surfaces.
Desk accessories here include inkwells, glass items, and novelties dated from eighteen-seventy to nineteen-thirty.
What varies in quality
Quality rests upon the crispness of the silver stamping, the clarity and weight of the cut glass bodies, and the preservation of any enamel work.
Substantial scale and unusual forms, such as novelty bell designs or large capstan shapes, distinguish the more ambitious pieces from standard desk accessories.
The Sterling Silver Inkpot Glossary
- Capstan inkwell
- An inkwell shaped like a naval capstan, featuring a wide circular base tapering upwards towards a hinged lid. This form provides a stable footprint for a desk.
- Guilloche enamel
- A decorative technique where a precise geometric pattern is engraved beneath a translucent layer of coloured enamel. It adds rich surface colour to silver mounts.
- Novelty inkwell
- An inkwell shaped to resemble an everyday object rather than a traditional vessel. Examples include pieces shaped as bells.
- Cut glass
- Glass decorated by cutting facets into the surface using a wheel. This technique creates sparkling geometric patterns on the body of the inkpot.
Sterling Silver Inkpot: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these inkpots come from?
The pieces span the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco eras, ranging from the eighteen-seventies through to the nineteen-thirties.
Most items date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
What materials are used in these pieces?
Makers utilised sterling silver alongside clear cut glass for the bodies of the inkpots.
Selected examples also feature decorative enamel work.
How were these inkpots used?
They sat on desks and dressing tables to hold liquid ink for dip pens during the Victorian and twentieth-century periods.
Their heavy bases prevented tipping during daily writing tasks.
What shapes do these desk accessories take?
The selection includes traditional circular capstan designs, paired inkwells, and novelty shapes.
Some pieces incorporate glass bodies with silver rims and hinged lids.