Cupid Forging an Arrow

This double-well inkstand is an allegory of romantic love.

Historical Context

• Origin: France (Continental Europe)
• Period/Date: Late 19th Century (circa 1870–1890)
• Maker: Unmarked / Unknown French foundry or decorative arts atelier. High-end desk pieces of this era were frequently cast by Parisian bronze and spelter foundries and sold unmarked through luxury retailers (marchands-merciers) or stationery purveyors.
• Materials: Patinated cast metal (spelter/white metal), molded clear glass inkwells, and an ebonized carved hardwood base secured with square-cut iron nuts on the underside.

Description

Late 19th-Century French Figural Double Inkstand – “Cupid at the Anvil”

A French Napoleon III period figural inkstand featuring a central sculpture of winged Cupid kneeling upon a tasseled cushion. The deity is forging love’s arrow on a blacksmith’s anvil, raised hammer in hand.

Cupid is flanked by two heavy molded glass inkwells featuring thumbprint/fluted decorative rims. Each inkwell retains its figural cast lid: one surmounted by a quiver of arrows, the other by the torch of passion. Set onto a shaped ebonized wooden plinth with an integrated, scooped pen trough and turned bun feet.

Key Identification Details

• Iconography: The attributes are standard Classical/Neoclassical iconography—the torch represents burning passion/arousal of love, while the quiver and forged arrow signify the piercing strikes of infatuation.
• Construction & Hardware: The hand-cut square nuts and threaded rods visible on the underside are typical for assembly methods between 1860 and 1890.