1860s Inkwells

A stunning French ormolu mounted Empire style marble desk stand dating from the 19th century. This stylish stand is of rectangular shape with rounded polished ends and is made from a...

The lacquer ground with a strong burgundy undertone. Well carved , colored and other wise decorated . The porcelain well in good Antique condition . Minor wear due to age and use .

Signed Diehl à Paris. Wood and silvered copper inkwell. Central drawer ornamented with an escutcheon and flanked by two small lateral drawers forming two containers, surmounted by a lid representing a nestling. Central niche ornamented with a winged creature. Inkwell flanked by two felines. Toped by a penholder representing a Moorish head resting on an eagle claw. This exceptional piece was realized thanks to the collaboration of ornemanist J. Brandely, sculptor E. Frémiet and cabinet-maker C.-G. Diehl. The motif of the fantasy creature dear to Diehl, is to be seen on the famous cabinet made by him in 1867 and now exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (Inv. 1989.197). Arriving in Paris in about 1840 Charles-Guillaume Diehl (1811-1885) founded his cabinet making and decoration firm at 19 rue Michel-le-Comte in 1885. His workshops produced elegant little pieces of furniture in rosewood and thuja and novelties with bronze and porcelain embellishments (see “Les ébénistes du XIXème siècle”, D. Ledoux-Lebard, Ed. de l’amateur, 1982, p.164). It was his luxury boxes, however (liqueur cellarettes, cigar cabinets, games boxes, cashmere cases, jewelry cases) which assured Diehl’s renown (see “l’Art en France sous le Second Empire”, Exposition Grand-Palais, Paris, 1979, p.133). Already rewarded with a bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1855 in Paris, he exhibited a jardinière with china columns and a liqueur cabinet at the Industrial Arts Exhibition in 1861. In collaboration with the designer Jean Brandely (active from 1867 until 1873), Diehl renovated his decorative repertory and created astonishing pieces of furniture in the Grecian style which had a dazzling success at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867, where his cabinets also won a silver medal. Certain motifs were so typical of Diehl’s work that they received extensive commentary by the art critic J. Mesnard in his book “Les Merveilles de l’Exposition Universal de 1867” (vol. II, pp. 133 & 149). He writes of a table of which “the pendant bearing hooks and the fan shaped radiating motif which ornaments the entablature are engraved with love” (p. 133) and a jewelry case where “The head in fine Grecian style makes up the essential part of the fine gilt bronze ornamentation” (p. 149). For this Universal Exhibition Diehl also formed a partnership with two famous sculptors: Emile Guillemin (1841-1907) who carved the relief for a mahogany sideboard with galvanic gilt bronzes (Orsay Museum, Paris, Inv. O.A.O. 992) and Emmanuel Frémiet (1824-1910) who executed the low relief for a cedar medal cabinet...

This unique and captivating 19th-century writing desk set combines function with artistic beauty. Crafted from ebonized wood, this remarkable piece is designed as the head of an Afri...

A refined antique inkwell, with two inkwells made of bronze, including glass cups. The base is made of veneered marquetry wood with a diamond pattern, framed in a bronze rim, resting...

A quite stunning French cut crystal inkwell of substantial size, with extremely elegantly worked neoclassical mounts, intricate scrolling filigree and very finely detailed sphinx's a...

This wonderfully detailed bronze inkstand is of unusably small proportions and was made to compliment a lady's writing table most likely. It is of an oval form with a moulded base which is mounted with a detailed bronze study of a rural scene of a young man harvesting corn with a sickle. The bushels of corn hide the inkpot which hinges back to reveal a white porcelain container...

A Verona red marble remarkable inkwell, pure Empire style representing a gilded bronze of the bust of Antinous as Dioniso. Empire style, Generous size, excellent state of preservatio...

A good Italian Grand Tour model of a Neopolitan fisherman at his work. In ormolu and patinated bronze the oval base is naturalistically decorated with rocks and seaweed which the fis...