Europe Inkwells

Investing in this Art Deco Porcelain Inkwell by A. Godard for Etling Paris, circa 1930, is an opportunity to own a piece of exquisite craftsmanship that encapsulates the essence of t...

This spectacular piece has a shaped broad rectangular form and stands on four winged paw feet. The edge of the main body is decorated with gadrooning interspersed with raying shells,...

Inkwell FRENCH MANUFACTURING OF THE EARLY 1900s Empire style inkwell in yellow Siena marble with gilded bronze inkwells and sphinx. 48 x 23 cm Height 20.

Unusual Pen Tidy Slot From our Black Forest collection, we are delighted to offer a rare example Antique Swiss Black Forest Dog Inkwell with ...

Heading : A 19th century banded agate and ormolu bronze inkwell Date : 1880-1910 Origin : France Decoration : The handle and inkwell with engraved foliate design. Original glass line...

Victorian-era silver plate wunderkammer inkwell that presents in the center of the tray a palm tree from the cut trunk on which rests reclining on four palm leaves an Australian e...

Classic 1890s Black Forest Brienz wood carved inkwell in form of a cabin. Nice addition to your room or just for use it on your desk. Made of hand carved wood and glass eyes. Found a...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Edwardian English sterling silver parcel gilt inkwell made by R & S Garrard & Co; part of our antique silver and glassware collection. Th...

Gorgeous most rare Swiss Black Forest 19th century Inkwell / desk accessory fully hand carved displaying a cat in a boot. The cat is very detailed with glass eyes (slight damage to b...

Gorgeous most rare Swiss Black Forest 19th century double Inkwell / desk accessory fully hand carved displaying a bird eating nuts & floral leaves / walnuts. Carved by a master carve...

Gorgeous most rare Swiss Black Forest 19th century Inkwell / desk accessory fully hand carved displaying a dog wearing a hat and monocle. Detailed carving by a master carver. Comes w...

An Art Noveau or Jugend patinated bronze pen and inkwell with an owl sitting in the center. The owl have inset glass eyes. Made ca.1900. Possibly Swedish. Symbolism of the owl: The...

Another rare antique for the collectors and enthusiasts of Gothic art. This sizeable and very stylish inkstand was all-handcrafted in the late 19th century and it could hardly be in...

Antique 20th Century German silver plated inkwell depicting a group of children on a toboggan sliding down the mountain, under one of the mountain peaks is a glass lined inkwell. A f...

We would like to present you with this magnificent 19th-century Empire-style inkwell from the Napoleon III era adorned with a raised imperial eagle motif positioned between the two i...

A Napoleon III bronze inkwell Encrier. Three winged cupids holding up a bowl with masked faces with an eagle standing atop. Dimensions: H 16cm W 11cm D 8cm Origin: French Date: ...

Gorgeous French malachite desk inkwell set Love the colour and grain to the malachite which really stands out The gilt fixtures are original and very well cast with great patina Comes with the two glass ink pots Circa 1880 We purchased this from a dealer on Marche Biron...

Small inkwell crafted in porcelain, the paunch and lid decorated with a frieze of polychromatic floral motives highlighted with gold. The lid topped by a pine cone finial features a ...

Antique early-20th Century Victorian lignum vitae inkwell carved in the form of a bulldog head. The detail is of exceptional quality, featuring glass eyes and a red felt collar aroun...

Rare and important French Napoleonic ink stand with female sculpture. This hand-crafted and sizable ink stand of marble and gilt bronze is signed by the renowned French sculptor Mar...

An antique Georg Jensen sterling silver inkwell and matching pen, design #254 by Georg Jensen in 1918. The rectangular base is meticulously hand-hammered, showcasing a finely crafted...

Art Deco full desk set in marble and brass, France, 1930s. Composed by: 2 Inkwells W 29.5 cm x D 18.5cm x H 8 cm Ashtray W 14 cm x D 14 cm x H 4 cm Envel...

Fantastic hand-forged Arts & Crafts figural Inkwell in shape of an owl, believed to be made by Goberg ~ 1900. The owl is made of forged iron with a lovely patina and bears yellow gla...

Memorial Marble Inkwell from the Early 20th Century A marble inkwell with a recess for a pen, adorned with a metal miniature of St. Peter's Basilica and an inkwell container. The marble bears...

Grey & Co Silver  From our Accessories collection, we are pleased to offer this Antique English Silver & Tortoiseshell Inkwell. The Inkwell of globular shape with a quilt cut glass ...

This French Lapis Lazuli and Silver Inkwell, crafted by Gustave Keller in the 1920s, stands as a truly exceptional piece of artistic and functional craftsmanship, radiating with a ti...

Ecritoire Art Déco en bronze et bois de corail. Les encriers, vide poche, presse papier, cachet à cire, coupe papier, base en bois de corail. Bronze à décor ciselé : femme danseuse ...

Pre-War Metal Inkwell with Bird Figurine Metal inkwell with a bird figurine, dating back to the early 20th century. In good condition, one of the lids has ...

Glass inkwell attributed to a design by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte Thank you

Beautiful antique glass inkwell. Stong blue colour of the glass and nicely hand painted accents. Zinc lids.

A wonderful and very large example of a figural Black Forest inkwell in the form of a Dog's head, with a beautiful bright patina. He retains his original large glass eyes, without d...

The Inkwell of square shape made from glass with hand cut diamond quilt pattern to the exterior. The lid of the inkwell mounted with a Sterling Silver hinged lid is hallmarked to the...

Beautiful Art Nouveau Inkwell from France, 1900- 1920s. This special inkwell is decorated all over with typical Art Nouveau ornaments. The attention to detail is reflected in the pen...

Inkwell “Colbert” made in clear glass with sepia patina by René Lalique in 1924. Molded signature. Lalique made 50 pieces of this model. All are numbered and ours is N°2. Perfect c...

Ink Pad by Le Verrier in Bronze Gold and Green Color France Signed

A graceful porcelain inkwell station, crafted from Meissen porcelain, features two inkwell compartments. The piece exhibits excellent condition, consistent with its age and boasts a ...

A George V silver double inkstand presented to Major Seymour Egerton, Coldstream Guards, by Prince Arthur Duke of Connaught & Strathearn, of rectangular fo...

Exceptional beautiful inkwell by the french artist and sculptor Gaston Bigard. Signed at the lid "BIGARD". Ceramic with authentic craquele lacquer and a brass lid with beautiful Art ...

Beautiful antique inkwell with Cloisonné-Enamel, France circa 1880.

Beautiful travel inkwell with a silver plated lid and a bottom of black leather. On the lid are the initials of a former owner grounded in. Several stamps are on the side of the lid....

A Rare Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Inkwell. Designed by Léon Messagé and Cast By The Ferdinand Barbedienne Foundry, Paris. Designed in the exuberant Rococo style surmounted by a sea...

Wonderful antique travel inkwell in a cover of red leather. France, early 19th Century.

Inkwell Calamelli workshop (attr.). Faenza, second half of the 16th century Height 4.33 in; length 8.07 in; depth 2.95 in (11 cm; 20.5 cm; 7.5 cm) Weight: 0.800 lb (363 g) State of conservation: some chipping to the top of the mask around the mouth. Handle glued, without any restorations; minor chips in some raised areas. This object has the shape of a foot wearing Greek-style footwear, as can be seen in some raised areas. The foot is anatomically modeled with bare toes, while the ankle is partially covered by the footwear. On the heel, there is a small circular handle to support the object. The mouth of the container is shaped like a mask. The interior, completely enameled, suggests that the piece was intended to be used as an inkwell or to contain some other liquid. The base, however, is not enamelled. The painted decoration, scant and brief, consists of rapid cobalt blue shading between the toes of the foot, with more precise emphasis on the nails. It is accompanied by yellow citrine accents to enhance the forms. The mask is painted with the tip of the brush, to accentuate the tense nature of the eyes and to accentuate their outline. Thin strokes of yellow-orange line the interior of the mouth. Since the Renaissance, this decoration has been referred to as "compendiaria" and it characterizes the period of production extending from the mid-16th century to approximately the middle of the following century. It significantly influenced tastes at the time. It evolved from the polychrome style "istoriato" and transformed into a new style that "summarized" (compendia), or condensed, the ornamentation of the works into a few colors, placing greater prominence on the shapes. It was often inspired by metal specimens. Since the Renaissance, this decoration has been referred to as "compendiaria" and it characterizes the period of production extending from the mid-16th century to approximately the middle of the following century. It significantly influenced tastes at the time. It evolved from the polychrome style "istoriato" and transformed into a new style that "summarized" (compendia), or condensed, the ornamentation of the works into a few colors, placing greater prominence on the shapes. It was often inspired by metal specimens. This artwork finds parallels in similar objects all characterized by this refined style and produced in the city of Faenza and other Italian centers starting from the mid-16th century. The closest comparable example in majolica is a foot acquired by the British Museum in 2011 (inv. 2011, 8008.1). This was previously published by Carmen Ravanelli Guidotti in 1996 and later by Dora Thornton in 2016 during the conference on Renaissance ceramics...

Beautiful inkwell made of heavy crystal glass, high-quality workmanship with a gold-plated lid. The depiction of Hermes' head is finely crafted and in beautiful condition.

An outstanding late Victorian inkwell made from two cattle horns and mounted with silver plated fittings, a stunning combination and always highly sought-after; I haven't had one of ...

Beautiful antique inkwell with Cloisonné-Enamel, France circa 1880. Stamped at the bottom "M B 5 9".

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...

Rare pewter inkstand, Firma Svenskt Tenn, Sweden -1925. Lid in the shape of a fish, relief decoration along the sides. The insert in glass is missing. Wear and patina consistent wit...

Talavera Glazed Ceramic Inkwell in its characteristic tones

Cute antique inkwell in shape of a shoe. The original ceramic ink insert is existing.

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique George V English sterling silver Art Deco ink box; an addition to our ornamental silverware collection This exceptional antique George V ...

Cool Ink Well designed as a Godin iron stove from the late 19th Century. Made in France in cast iron and painted with a beautiful patina. Probably an advertising item from late 19th ...

art nouveau pewter inkwell, glass bucket, circa 1900

Porcelain and bronze inkwell in the taste of Asian Art. Inkwell decorated with a Buddha in white porcelain on a red lacquer tray mounted with gilt bronze and inkwells in porcelain a...

Wonderful inkwell made of heavy brass. Beautifully crafted and decorated with a dachshund figure. France, early 20th century.

An Art Deco period inkwell, signed Franjou. With a figure of a woodpecker. Made of nickel-plated spelter. On a marble plinth with fluting for a pencil. Franjou is a pseudonym of the...

Beautiful inkwell with a small bust in the center and two glass inkwells on its sides. Nicely silvered and cleaned condition. France, 19th century.

An inkwell and pen holder, made of painted ceramic, depicting the character of Pierrot from the Commedia dell'Arte. Austria circa 1930.