Anglo-Indian Wooden Inkstand with Brass Inlay

This Anglo-Indian desk inkstand is made from dark, rich rosewood with decorative brass inlay.

Key Features:

• Brass Foliate Inlay: The front, back, and side aprons are embellished with hand-cut brass wire and sheet inlay forming intricate, flowing foliate and floral arabesque patterns. Subtle brass stringing/line inlay borders the outer bevels of the top surface.
• Top Deck & Layout:
  • Central Carrying Handle: Features a turned wooden baluster handle with central ring-turned detailing, flanked by two turned upright posts.
  • Inkwells: Two square cut-glass inkwells with stepped shoulders rest in square recessed spaces on either side of the handle. Each well is fitted with a turned wooden lid.
  • Central Compartment: Positioned directly beneath the handle is a small, rectangular lidded box – typically used as a stamp or nib box -with a small turned wood knob.
  • Pen Wells: Flanking the central deck are two long, concave carved pen troughs (pen rests) for dip pens.
• Storage Drawer: The lower base houses a full-width pullout drawer with a single turned wooden knob, designed for storing extra nibs, sealing wax, blotters, or small writing accessories.
• Feet: The base is raised on four classic turned bun feet.

Attribution & Historical Context

• Who / Origin: Anglo-Indian artisans, likely produced in or around Hoshiarpur, Punjab (Northern India) or regional workshop centers in British India. Hoshiarpur was world-renowned in the late 19th century for its exquisite brass, bone, and ivory inlay work on dark hardwoods like rosewood and shisham.
• Where Made: India (specifically produced for the British Colonial market and export).
• When Made: Late 19th to early 20th century (circa 1880–1910).

Historical Significance

During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, Anglo-Indian furniture and desk accessories were popular among British officers, colonial administrators, and western collectors. Artisans combined traditional Indian brass-inlay techniques (Tarkashi) with Western utilitarian forms to create high-end writing sets.