Bronze 1850's Antique French Napoleon III Double Desk Inkwell with Hinged Lids For Sale

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Bronze 1850's Antique French Napoleon III Double Desk Inkwell with Hinged Lids:
$275.00

Free listing template designed by dewiso.comAntique French Double Desk Inkwell
Hand Tooled in Bronze

Listing for a beautiful 19th century French double desk inkwell. This piece is made from solid bronze and has been in the private collection of a Tulsa, Oklahoma based family for many decades. The inkwell features interlaced acanthus leaves, scrolls, and dragon head reliefs. Both inkwell hinges are in superb condition, with a full and smooth range of movement. The crafting of these inkwells in the 1800s would have required a substantial investment of both time and money, making them not only functional writing tools but also emblematic of status.

This piece represents more than 10 pounds (4.706 kilograms) of bronze. The inkwells sit upon (and are mounted to) a rectangular bronze tray featuring hand tooled "spinning top" feet. The numbers "64" and the word "Depose" are cast into the underside of the tray. Depose translates roughly to "patented" or "registered" in English. In the interests of preservation, no attempts at cleaning or polishing this piece have been undertaken. This inkwell is, as best as I can tell, the only inkwell of its design being sold in North America.

This piece is in fantastic condition given its age (nearly 200 years) and size. All of the bronzework is intact, and there is little to no evidence of wear around the leaves, faces, scrolls, and handles. The original glass verrines are missing, as is one of the interior ovoid receptacles for the rightmost verrine. A small amount of transparent adhesive can be seen on the underside of the piece, preventing the bronze thumb screws from being unthreaded. This adhesive is presumably removable, and I suspect (but am not certain) that it was applied to prevent tiny hands from removing the screws responsible for holding the topside receptacles in place.

This is one of the more substantial pieces that I have carried over the years. Due to its age and historical value, the inkwell will be wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap and padding before shipment. All four corners of the box will be reinforced for good measure. This inkwell will be shipped same-day if the order is placed before 4:00 PM central time. Orders placed after that time are shipped the very next morning.

Dimensions & Weight

Dimensions: 22" L x 9.5" W x 6" T (from the floor to the top of the inkwell spires)
Weight: 10 lbs 6 oz

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Disclaimer Item condition is reflected in the listing photos. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact.