Ink Stand
Designer
George Bullock
(English, ca. 1782 - 1818)
Dateca. 1815
MediumTortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, brass on ebonized mahogany support
DimensionsOverall: 2 3/4 × 15 1/2 inches (6.99 × 39.37 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: the Charlotte and Perry Faeth Fund
Object number2006.34
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionCircular premiere partie boulle-work inkstand with engraved brass and engraved mother-of-pearl inlaid into tortoiseshell; the support ebonized mahogany. The circular stand has a circular central well, surrounded by a patinated brass band, with a rectangular pen-tray and two circular depressions fo rink and sand pots. The wide border is decorated with a meandering decoration of a flowering vine, the flowers rendered in mother-of-pearl. The pen-pen tray, which has a removable patinated brass partition, is ornamented with a more densely delineated and intertwinded pattern of vines and flowers issuing from a central rosette, while the interior of each ink and sand pot holder is decorated with a large stylized flower. Around these holders are scrolling vines encircling smaller rosettes and mother-of-pearl flowers. The wood support is ebonized mahogany with narrows to the foot.Gallery LabelArtists and designers often reinterpreted traditional designs to suit new tastes. English designer and manufacturer George Bullock transformed historical decoration with dense, bold patterns, and materials such as wood, shell, and metal. Entwined in the wide border of this ink stand are acanthus leaves, common in classical ornamentation, and flowering English honeysuckle vines. Together, these elements showcase Bullock’s acclaimed craftsmanship and frequent use of English botanical motifs.
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Owen Jones
1851
2011.62.A,B
