19th Century Desk Accessories

Inkwell in red Griotte marble and gilt bronze representing an allegory of writing by Henri Chapu (1833-1891). This old 19th century inkstand is ...

Unusual antique Victorian quality brass inkwell having a quality antique Victorian brass inkwell of a dog with original glass eyes on a circula...

19th century Chinese camphor wood and ebonised writing slope of exceptional quality, having a drawer to the front which when pulls out opens the tambour shutter on top to reveal a lift up stationary rack with various sized compartments, in the bottom central compartment there is the makers label “SUI KEE CHAN” There is a hinged lid which lifts up and over...

A rare find, this fabulous figural desk bell was cast in metal in the form of a pig with a quality screwed construction. The mechanical bell can be wou...

Exceptionally beautiful inkwell from the French Art Nouveau period. Great workmanship of Art Nouveau decor with maple and vine motifs on the bottom of the pen tray, the ink cup holde...

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...

Beautiful antique Victorian thermometer. The front is made of sterling silver. This is marked with the hallmarks of Birmingham 1887 (year letter N) and the maker H. Matthews. This En...

Late 19thC spelter ink stand Centred with a Gun Dog with pheasant in its mouth, flanked by glass inkwells in a shaped base c1890 Measures: 10" W x 5" D x 5" H.

Victorian Pierced Folding Extending Bookend Slide A very attractive piece with Pierced Ends which both fold flat and extend to hold more books securely The Slide is 13” wide extend...

A truly outstanding and rare find, this is an outstanding Victorian figural inkwell made from a winning combination of brass and silver plate and retaining his wonderful two original...

An Ashford (Derbyshire) black marble pen tray, of rectangular form with two pen trays and a small circular well centred under a bronze handle in the form entwined serpents, the pen trays decorated with inlaid pietra dura borders. English, circa 1850. Ashford marble is a type of limestone which can be polished to a glossy black finish. It is quarried in only two sites in Derbyshire and has been used as a decorative building material since Bess of Hardwick commissioned a chimney piece of Ashford stone for Chatsworth. In the 18th century Henry Watson...

French 2 pot inkwell stand with a Hunting Retriever Dog This is a very attractive desk top inkwell, the centre of the stand is set with a curly coated retrie...

Set of old books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called  « Memoirs of the bourge...

A very rare and important exhibition encrier by François Linke and Léon Messagé. French, circa 1900. Index number 709. Signed to the edge 'F. Linke'. This exceptional and ambitious encrier is modelled as two putti, each holding a standard and sitting on the water's edge, the two inkwells with hinged spirally-fluted covers with glass liners. This important inkwell is based on Léon Messagé's celebrated sculptural group 'La Source' and was originally intended by Linke to form part of his spectacular Stand at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Like seven or eight other pieces originally intended for inclusion on the Stand, it would seem the encrier was a casualty of both Linke's over-ambitious production schedule and the financial burden that the manufacture of such ornate and high quality work imposed. It was eventually shown on the Stand in September after the gilding was finished by Picard at a cost of 90 French francs. The costs of the model were very high: some 2024 francs (of which Message's combined fee was 1158 francs 40 centimes), underlining the originality and complexity. The 1900 Exposition example was sold, along with three important pieces of furniture from the Stand (the Grand bureau and associated armchair, and the Bahut Louis XV Mars et Vénus), to the South African banker and diamond merchant Solomon Joel. A further six encriers were produced up until 1925. Object Literature: Payne, Christopher. François Linke, 1855-1946, The Belle Époque of French Furniture, p. 90, pl. 97; p. 149, pl. 157; p. 150; pp. 182-183, pls 197 & 198 as exhibited at the Liege exhibition in 1905 & p. 480 for the original notes in Linke's Blue daybook of the late 1890s. François Linke (1855 - 1946) was the most important Parisian cabinet maker of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and possibly the most sought after cabinet maker of his period. He was born in 1855 in the small village of Pankraz, in what is now the Czech Republic. Records show that Linke served an apprenticeship with the master cabinetmaker Neumann, then in 1875 at the age of 20 he arrived in Paris where he lived until he died in 1946. It is known that the fledgling Linke workshops were active in Paris in the Faubourg St. Antoine as early as 1881, and during this time he supplied furniture for other more established makers such as Jansen and Krieger. The quality of Linke's craftsmanship was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries and reached its peak with his spectacular Stand at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, where his Grand Bureau took the Gold Medal. He gambled his fortune and reputation on this Stand, exhibiting several breathtaking items of furniture with sculptural mounts of the most exceptional quality and proportion. His gamble worked and his reputation was established to such an extent that Linke continued to be the pre-eminent furniture house in Paris until the Second World War. As the Art Journal reported in 1900 on Linke's Stand: 'The work of M. Linke ... was an example of what can be done by seeking inspiration amongst the Classic examples of Louis XV and XVI without in any great sense copying these great works. M. Linke's work was original in the true sense of the word, and as such commended itself to the intelligent seeker after the really artistic things of the Exhibition. Wonderful talent was employed in producing the magnificent pieces of furniture displayed....' The formation of Linke's distinctive style was made possible by his collaboration with the sculptor Léon Messagé. Together Linke and Messagé designed furniture for Linke's 1900 exhibition Stand, with exuberant allegorical figures cast in high relief, that exemplified Linke's ability to seamlessly merge the different mediums of wood carving, bronze and marquetry into a dynamic unified whole. Today Linke is best known for the exceptionally high quality of his work, as well as his individualism and inventiveness. All of his work has the finest, most lavish mounts, very often applied to comparatively simple carcasses. The technical brilliance of his work and the artistic change that it represented were never to be repeated. Bibliography: Payne, Christopher. François Linke, (1855 - 1946), The Belle Époque of French Furniture, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2003. Meyer, Jonathan. Great Exhibitions - London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, 1851-1900, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2006; pp. 298 - 300. LeDoux - Lebard, Denise. Les Ébénistes du XIXe siècle, Les Editions de l'Amateur, (Paris), 1984; pp. 439-43. Revue Artistique & Industrielle, (Paris), July-August 1900. Coral Thomsen, D. (ed), The Paris Exhibition 1900, The Art Journal, 1901; p.341. Léon Messagé (1842-1901) had a brilliant, but short lived career. He is best known for his incredible sculptural collaboration with François Linke for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. A gifted sculptor, Messagé was also responsible for much of the design and creative work for Roux et Brunet and Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener. Messagé enjoyed great success as a designer/sculptor before his collaboration with Linke. Indeed he was mentioned as a Gold Medal winner at the 1889 International Exhibition and was especially praised for his work on a cabinet by Zwiener. He came into contact with Linke in 1885 and it appears from then on Linke employed him on a regular basis. Messagé was primarily influenced by Rococo ornament but he strove to re-interpret it. He did not produce slavish copies, and his original approach can be appreciated in Linke's celebrated Grande Bibliothèque and Grand Bureau exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. A number of drawings by Messagé are recorded and after his success at the exhibition of 1889 he was encouraged to publish his designs. 'Cahier...

Bronze ink set around 1900 Solid bronze, in the middle an inkwell with original glass insert. Germany, around 1900.

Swedish paperweight in the marble in the shape of a cannon barrel. Beautiful patina. Empire, early 19th century. Minor chips (se pictures) Wear con...

A fine English Regency period patinated bronze inkwell in the shape of a long ship. The main body of the inkwell is in the form of a ship and in a form of shipbuilding known as clink...

Beautiful antique writing slope case. The chest is veneered with Macassar wood. Decorated with silver mounts. The interior is made of birdseed maple...

Outstanding quality 19th century antique French cast-brass desk set with a very attractive inkstand having twin inkwells and beautiful pierced gallery. It has a rectangular pierced pen tray and a pair of ornate candlesticks...

Set of old books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called " Society for the History of French Protestantism ". Th...

Outstanding quality 19th century antique French cast-brass desk set with a very attractive inkstand having twin inkwells and a beautiful pierced gallery. It has a rectangular pierced pen tray and a pair of ornate candlesticks...

Set of old bound books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These 3 books are the set of different plays by Casimir Delavigne of the French Academy...

Inkwell in agate set in a vermeil mount. The agate cut is closed by a finely chiseled lid of foliage patterns and whose grip is adorned with a head of putti. The handle, which is dec...

A gorgeous ladies hand wall or desk letter / paper clip. Made of Ormolu, by Erhard & Sohne, Germany. Beautiful color and patina. This was made by Erhard & Sohne in the early 1890s-19...

A magnificent, fine and impressive antique Victorian English sterling silver inkstand / desk standish; an addition to our ornamental silverware collection This magnificent, fine and impressive antique Victorian sterling silver inkstand / desk standish has a rectangular shaped form. This antique inkstand is plain and embellished with chased and embossed egg decorated borders. The surface of this exceptional example of antique silverware incorporates two elongated oval recesses, composing pen wells. This antique hallmarked silver inkstand is supported by four impressive cast paw style feet embellished with scroll and leaf decoration in junction with the plain collet rim. The body of the inkstand incorporates two cylindrical ink bottles flanking a central rectangular stamp box. The impressive ink bottles are each embellished with impressive applied rams head masks conjoined with swag decoration, in addition to leaf and egg decorated borders. Each ink bottle is surmounted with a push fit cover, allowing access to the original glass liner. The centre of each cover is fitted with a cast silver flame decorated finial; once removed this provides a pierced hole for access to the contents of the ink bottle. The central sterling silver stamp box...

A handsome Horseshoe shaped inkstand, the base made from solid English Oak mounted with a silver plated horseshoe and a square gallery to secure the glass inkwell. The glass inkwell is topped with a hinged brass lid in the form of a Jockey's cap with a silver plated peak, slight wear to edge. There is a support for a dip pen...

An early 19th century bronze and ormolu Encrier having lyre and flower handle flanked by engine-turned inkwells with penholders, raised on platform base ...

Elegant silvered bronze inkwell in the shape of a shell raised by four feet also made like small shells. The two cruets for the ink and the pen cleaner are in cut crystal with a bro...

A rare Regency writing desk box made in solid ebony. Original leather with natural age-related patina. Original fittings and locks. In good condi...

Intriguing 19th century Grand Tour carved Carrara marble cameo depicting a strong male profile, possibly the Italian poet Dante Alighieri Antique Italian...

Set of old books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called  « History of Protestant...

A very finely made antique French Palais Royal ormolu mounted mother of pearl desk stand with pen dating from around 1900. The stand comprises of an ornate looped wire work carrying handle with a candle holder mounted on a shaped metal body embossed and engraved with floral designs and with a coiled pen support one with a snake head terminal and other with a flower with a polished mother of pearl bowl...

A antique tortoiseshell singing bird box, most probably by Bontems, Going barrel movement, Gilt metal two-tone brilliance... When wound and start/stop slide moved to the right, the bird pops up through foliate chased gilt grille, then proceeds to move bone beak, wings and body from side-to-side to good complex continuous synchronized birdsong. The bird with streaked feathered plumage in brown, yellow, turquoise and red, lime green and purple iridescent highlights, highly polished lid interior for full bird reflection, in plain polished tortoiseshell case, twinned laurel leaf engraved bird lid border with the bird lid engraved with love birds and rose united beneath leaf swag arch, accentuated with gilt on silvered ground, hidden key...

A second half of the 19th century Scandinavian vanity mirror for kids. This Little hand painted in "Faux bois" technique mirror has a little...

Antique Carving in the Form of a Dog Raised up on his hind legs, the head with original glass eyes tilts back to reveal the original glass inkwell ins...

Set of old books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called  «Revue Chrétienne» (Chr...

Set of old books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called  « Life of Jean Wesley ». These...

A fantastic inkwell in the form of a pocket globe, dating from the mid 19th century.

A Rare 19th century chinese silver and jade magnifying glass. This finely worked and intricately designed hand magnifying glass dates to circa...

Rare and beautiful gilt bronze ink stand with candlestick. French empire, probably made in Paris around 1810. The gilt bronze with some patina. Wear consistent with age and use.

Celeste globe by Charles Dien it is signed Charles Dien 1840 in very good general condition measurements: 36 cm high and 15 cm in diameter very good condition.

This is an antique engineer's letter punch set. An English, beech and steel tool engraving block, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1900. Delight...

A very stylish English majolica pottery partners desk stand with inkwells with ram heads by renowned maker William Brownfield and dating from around 1870. The rectangular shaped desk...

A very fine, rare and unusual antique English Derby partners porcelain inkwell and quill pen holder decorated in the Imari pattern and dating from the early ...

A Wunderkammer Grand Tour's souvenir. A pair of fossil coral stone spheres, resting on a base, made of brass. Italy circa 1870.

Set of old books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are entitled "Journal des missions Evangeliques» with Map (Mission...

A Wunderkammer Grand Tour's souvenir> A pair of breccia marble spheres, resting on a base, made of brass. Italy circa 1870.

Rare Paluzie globe from the XIX century. Desktop globe from the xix century made by the house: Faustino Paluzie-Barcelona. The base is made of ebonized w...

A mid 19th century brass Vernier protractor by Newton & Co of London. With two screw in fixing points. Signed: Newton & Co 3, Fleet St, London Marked with Broad-Arrow: WD 5679.

Beautiful 19th century French porcelain inkwell from the imperial manufacture of Sevres. Green and gold decor with dolphin's head. Stamped Sevres at the back. Rare item.

A finely carved "Black Forest' pipe stand. Carved Lindenwood with a single bear standing over a naturalistic base with the pipe holders and astray to fron...

This is a fine example of a scrambled Glass Paperweight by the New England Glass Company, dating to 1852. The weight includes latticinio twists and vari...

From Greece, to the conquest of Macedonia or ancient Germania you will find in these two books the universal history of Muller with his reflections. These books were very successful ...

Art Nouveau French bronze wax seal stamp by Budin, ca 1900. A lovely Art Nouveau bronze wax seal stamp of a woman figure, nude with long hair ...

An English Art Nouveau copper inkwell. An Art & Crafts English yellow with red copper inkwell. A rectangular inkwell with a scene of an owl sit...

We kindly suggest you read the whole description, because with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to guarantee the authenticity of our objects. Orig...

A charming Victorian hand carved pine stationary box The Box is good quality and in very good condition for its age, the hand carved sloping doors on...

A rare Victorian silver plated novelty inkwell fashioned in the form of a barrel on stand, in turn standing on a brick paving; beautiful detail such as...