Dark Purple Teakettle Inkwell

This ink bottle is known to collectors as a “teakettle” inkwell due to its miniature kettle-like silhouette complete with a side-pouring spout and a flat, stable base.

Description

• Form & Color: Mold-blown in a multi-faceted (typically octagonal or multi-sided) barrel body featuring a deep, rich amethyst or dark purple hue.
• Spout & Lip: Features an angled side spout terminating in a hand-finished, smoothly ground lip (sheared and ground flat), which was designed to sit flush against a tight stopper.
• Closure: It preserves its original hardware, consisting of a cork stopper fitted into a brass cap complete with an integral pull-ring handle.

Age and Origin

• Date: Generally attributed to the mid-to-late 19th century, spanning roughly circa 1830s to 1890s. While many auction houses and general antique guides broadly place these in the 1870s–1890s window, earlier documentation—such as period fashion plates and manufacturer records (including early designs by makers like S. Mordan & Co. in London)—indicates that these distinctive novelty shapes were produced as early as the 1830s.
• Origin: Teakettle inks of this style were manufactured in Europe (with many documented examples originating from English and French glasshouses) as well as select variants produced in the United States. Deep amethyst and vibrant colored glass examples from this era are considered scarce.