French Military Themed Double Inkstand

Description:

This is a late 19th-century French double inkstand featuring a rectangular marble base. It is equipped with two figural inkwells cast in brass that are shaped like French military shako hats.

Each “hat” sits upon a square metal plinth designed to resemble a stack of books or possibly a military case. The hats feature hinged lids that open to reveal the ink chambers (where the glass or ceramic inserts would have originally sat). A notable decorative detail is the tall plume (or pompon) attached to the side of each shako, along with embossed insignias on the front of the hat bodies.

Key Characteristics

The “Shako” Hats

These hats represent the French shako style used extensively during the Second French Empire (1852–1870) and into the early Third Republic.

• The Plume: The stiff, upright brush-like piece on the side is the plume.
• The Insignia: The circular or oval embossed symbol on the front usually denoted the regiment or branch of service (e.g., an eagle for Imperial forces or a flaming grenade for the Infantry/Grenadiers).

The Marble Base

The marble is most likely Rouge de France or Rouge Antique.

• It is characterized by its deep “flesh” or reddish-orange tones with creamy, buff-colored brecciated (fragmented) inclusions.
• This specific type of marble was very common in French decorative arts during the 1800s.
• The front of the base features a wide, shallow pen groove for resting a dip pen.

Age and Origin

• Origin: Almost certainly France. The shako style and the choice of rouge marble are classic hallmarks of French desk sets.
• Date: Circa 1860–1880. This fits the height of the military shako’s use and the era when these figural marble-based sets were most fashionable.
• Construction: Looking at the underside, the two holes reveal how the inkwells are secured to the marble via threaded rods and nuts (recessed into the stone).