19th Century French Ormolu & Onyx Inkwell with Michelangelo's Lorenzo de Medici

A Louis-Philippe Gothic Revival gilt and patinated bronze inkwell Rising from two-tone gilt bronze bracket feet, the patinated bronze rectangular inkwell having a band of circular...

A French Ormolu-Mounted Neoclassical Jardinière Constructed using flamed Cuban mahogany and dressed with hand-chased and gilded bronze mounts, supported on scrolled foliate feet, th...

A Garniture de Cheminée in The Egyptian Manner Constructed in Algerian onyx and ormolu, comprising a large clock and two side pieces; rising f...

An Unusual 'Inkwell' Table Clock Attributed to Thomas Cole Constructed from gilt brass, the novelty timepiece rising from a turned ebonised base inset with a concave brass tray e...

An ormolu and marble inkwell, 19th century, Napoleon III period. A Louis XVI style inkwell, 19th century, Napoleon III period in marble and ormolu depicting a putto. H: 26cm, W: 34c...

Crafted of brilliant doré bronze and fine brocatelle marble, this wonderful Napoleon III-period inkwell is as functional as it is beautiful. In a style reminiscent of Louis XV Rococo...

19th century black marble inkwell surmounted by a patinated bronze statue featuring Moses by Michelangelo. The statue of Moses, commissioned in 1505 by Pope Julius II for his tomb and housed in the church of San Pietro in Rome, is a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance, like the Middle Ages, was a rich source of inspiration for 19th century artists, who used to imitate the works of the past. Our inkwell is provided with two gilt bronze ink...

An Exquisite and Rare French Louis XVI Style Ormolu-Mounted Bloodstone Inkwell, circa 1875. A truly exceptional and jewel like quality inkwell encrier, made with the finest ormolu, mounted on bloodstone. A true collectors and one of a kind piece. Revival of the ancient régime in the late 19th century was paramount to the French furniture and bronze casting firms of the Belle Epoque. Imitation in the highest regard and replication of those tastes and styles was prevalent throughout the Paris Faubourg, where the most talented bronziers and ébénistes established their workshops. The present inkwell encrier recalls the late 18th century's obsession with hardstones - a taste expounded above all by the duc d'Aumont and, subsequently Marie-Antoinette. Such hardstone-mounted pieces, reminiscent of Renaissance schatzkammer objects, enjoyed a revived popularity at the end of the 18th century through the impetus of both the marchands-mercier and, more importantly, the hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs, where the duc d'Aumont himself established a workshop in 1770 specializing in the cutting and polishing of precious hardstones. This exceptional inkwell encrier, sumptuously-mounted with finely chased gilt-bronzes, incorporates a highly-prized material such as bloodstone. Sometimes called the Sunstone, the meaning of Bloodstone comes entangled in fascinating history. The Ancient Greeks held the Bloodstone as a gem with glorious powers. They referred to it as Heliotrope, which directly translates to Sunstone. It was believed to have heavenly healing powers gifted by the gods and most certainly when it came to healing all things related to the blood. Even as we move forward into the Middle Ages, the Bloodstone takes another mystical story under its wing. It was believed to be formed from Christ's blood. It was said that during the Crucifixion, a few red spots of his blood dripped...