Art Deco Marble Inkstand

This geometric double-well inkstand, made in the Art Deco style, features a stepped, faceted base and an octagonal hinged compartment housing two original glass inkwells with matching glass funnels.

Marble Type

The piece is fashioned from Portor (often called Portoro), a striking and luxurious black limestone-derived marble native to Italy (specifically the Gulf of La Spezia in Liguria), though widely exported and utilized by European stonemasons and high-end manufacturers. It is characterized by its deep, jet-black background sharply contrasted by dynamic, branching golden-yellow veins and occasional white calcite streaks.

Age and Origin

• Date: Circa 1920s to 1930s (Interwar Art Deco period).
• Origin: France. While unmarked (as is common with many artisanal or boutique desk sets of the era), the geometric severity, clean angular lines, stepped profile, and characteristic French marble-working techniques of the period point directly to French manufacture.

Additional Details & Features

• The Inkwells: The set retains its two original cylindrical clear glass inserts with specialized stepped glass funneled covers, minimizing evaporation and enhancing the dipping process.
• Hardware: The lidded compartment is secured by a multi-knuckle brass piano hinge mounted along the rear edge.
• Base Construction: The underside reveals the unfinished, unpolished gray limestone/slate backing typical of quality desk stones of this vintage, raised on four small, rounded brass bun feet that give the heavy slab a subtle floating appearance.