Egyptian Revival Silverplated Double Inkstand

Description

• Form & Structure: Constructed as a tapered, pylon-shaped box (resembling ancient Egyptian architectural pylons) raised on four spherical ball feet.
• Hinged Lid & Interior: The hinged top opens to reveal a fitted interior housing two white glazed porcelain inkwells and a central square compartment designed for holding dip-pen nibs, paperclips, or stamps.
• Decorative Engraving:
  • Front Panel: Engraved with a winged sun disk (or winged scarab with stylized cobras/uraei), a central motif of ancient Egyptian iconography representing protection and royalty.
  • Borders: Framed with geometric chevron / zig-zag frieze borders along the outer edges of each panel.
• Material & Condition: Silverplated base metal (likely nickel silver or brass, as evidenced by light brassy/coppery undertones showing through where the plating has rubbed on the lid).

Maker’s Mark & Attribution

Reading the Mark

The punch mark stamped into the underside features:

1. Cartouche Shape: A vertical lozenge (diamond) cartouche surmounted by a small top ring/circle (resembling a keyhole or pendant punch shape).
2. Top Circle: Contains a small single character—likely an I, 1, or T.
3. Lozenge Center: Houses a monogram of intertwined initials, most prominently reading VRC (or alternatively ARC / WRC).

Origin & Dating

• Maker: This style of mark—a diamond/lozenge punch with a top ring—is characteristic of French (or Continental European) silversmiths and metalworkers (orfèvrerie).
• Date: Circa 1880–1925.
  • Egyptian Revival decor surged in popularity twice during this timeframe: first following the opening of the Suez Canal (1869) and the late 19th-century French/British orientalism movement, and again during the Art Deco Egyptian Revival wave sparked by the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.