Crystal inkwell with silver plated hammered lid, star base / Artist Unknown

About this Item

Record Details

Accession Number

2010/1.227

Title

Crystal inkwell with silver plated hammered lid, star base

Artist

Artist Unknown

Medium and Support

glass, metal

Object Creation Date

1875-1975

Credit Line

Gift in loving memory of Donald Maxwell Robiner from his family

Dimensions

9 cm x 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm (3 9/16 in. x 2 9/16 in. x 2 9/16 in.)

Primary Object Classification

Decorative Arts

Primary Object Type

Inkwell

Physical Description

This is a crystal inkwell with a silver-plated cap. The bottle has a cylinder shape with vertical fluting. The round cap has hammered designs on top and a beading pattern around the edge.

Subject Matter

As with most objects of daily use, inkwells could be modest and utilitarian or more fanciful, the latter employing lavish use of precious materials to reflect and enhance the status of the possessor. Inkwells in the UMMA collections demonstrate a rich variety of materials, including silver, crystal, ceramic, and metal. Some pre-date the emergence of the fountain pen, and many mark the transition from a quill or nib pen to the convenience of the pocket pen commonly found today. Inkwells are avidly collected by those who value the artistry that went into the creation of a beautiful object for everyday life

Primary Keywords

glass

silver plate

Secondary Keywords

descriptors

glass and glassmaking mixtures

inorganic material

materials

materials by composition

object genres

object genres by material

Rights

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Technical Details

Collection

University of Michigan Museum of Art

Image Size

3888 x 2592

File Size

1 MB

Record

2010/1.227

Link to this Item

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2010-sl-1.227/2010_1_227.jpg content_copy