Banded Onyx & Brass Double Inkstand with Bust of Ceres

Description This double inkstand is made from carved banded onyx-marble with cast brass mounts.

• Base: Carved from banded cream and caramel onyx-marble (often called Algerian onyx or travertine onyx) featuring a deep, sculpted pen trough along the front and resting on four cast foliate feet.
• Inkwells: Symmetrically placed on either side, the two inkwells feature heavy banded borders with diaper-pattern (crosshatch) and scroll engraving, topped by domed, hinged lids with finials and fitted with removable clear glass inserts.
• Central Figure: A neoclassical bust raised on a cylindrical diaper-patterned plinth, capped by a tied sheaf of wheat (sheaf of grain) rising vertically above her head.

Subject & Symbolism

• Identity: The bust represents Ceres (the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, and the harvest—equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter), or an allegory of Summer / The Harvest (L’Été / La Moisson).
• Iconography: The prominent sheaf of wheat bound with stalks above her headdress and her classical drapery are classic 18th- and 19th-century allegorical emblems of abundance and fertility.

Origin, Date & Maker

• Where Made: Most likely France (Paris). French foundries specialized in pairing fine banded onyx with detailed cast bronze and brass desk sets during this era. (Northern Italy is a secondary possibility, though the assembly and pattern work strongly point to French manufacture).
• When Made: Circa 1870–1890 (Napoleon III / Late 19th-Century Neoclassical Revival).
• Maker: An unattributed Parisian decorative arts foundry or workshop. Such luxury desk accessories were produced in small batches by commercial casting ateliers and sold through high-end retailers (marchands-merciers). Unless a foundry cachet or retailer stamp is hidden on the bottom rim of the central plinth or stamped into the base castings, individual makers on these pieces typically remain anonymous.