Victorian Cast Brass Ornate Inkwell With Ceramic Insert. Circa 1880. 17 x 14.5cm.
This handsome Victorian inkwell is square-shaped with a raised base supported by four intricately designed paw feet. The body and lid are elaborately embossed with classical or mythological motifs, including human or possibly divine figures, ornate floral patterns, and baroque-style flourishes.
The lid is pyramidal with a finial at the top, shaped like a flame or a stylized leaf, which is a common design in 19th-century European decorative art. The lid opens to reveal the ceramic ink reservoir, which would have originally held ink for dipping pens.
These types of inkwells were commonly used on desks in the Victorian era or earlier, often as both a functional and decorative item.
The overall aesthetic suggests a Victorian or late 19th-century European origin. The detailed casting and decorative motifs point toward a Renaissance Revival or Baroque Revival style.
This would have likely belonged to someone of wealth or status, as it was both a tool and a symbol of sophistication or intellectual pursuit.
Size (base) : 14.5 x 14.5cm
Height (including finial) : 17cm
