American Rococo Revival Sterling & Cut-Glass Inkwell

Description

• Glass Base: Made from heavy, clear, cut glass in an 8-fluted starburst / lobed polygon shape. The deep vertical flutes wrap around the sides, and the underside is decorated with a sharp starburst / sunburst cut pattern centered on the bottom.
• Silver Top & Collar: Mounted with a fitted sterling silver collar secured to the glass neck. The collar is stamped STERLING alongside a small maker’s mark consisting of a crescent moon flanked by a star.
• Lid Mechanism & Interior: Features an oversized, high-domed hinged silver cap. The underside of the hinge arm is hand-scratched/stamped with assembly/matching numbers (visualized as VII) to align the lid with its specific hinge knuckle during manufacture. When opened, the inner collar reveals a smooth silver lip designed to hold an internal glass/pottery ink well insert.
• Decoration & Engraving: The bulbous top is heavily chased and repoussé-decorated with swirling Rococo revival scrollwork and floral blossoms. The center top reserve features a smooth cartouche finely engraved with an elaborate Victorian/Edwardian script monogram.

Origin, Maker, and Date

• Origin & Maker: American. The standard word mark STERLING indicates American manufacture (distinct from British assay marks). The maker’s hallmark—a crescent moon containing/adjacent to a five-pointed star—was used by late 19th and early 20th-century American silversmiths.
• Era / Age: Circa 1895–1910.
• Style: Repoussé Rococo Revival / Art Nouveau transition, which was exceedingly popular in American silver desk accessories and dresser items around the turn of the 20th century.