Blue Glass Inkstand with Three Compartments

This blue glass inkstand is an example of mid-20th-century decorative glassware, likely produced in France during the 1940s or 1950s.

Description

• The Glassware: The set is crafted from opaline glass (specifically a type often called “blue milk glass”) with a translucent, milky quality. It consists of a rectangular glass tray with three circular recesses that hold matching individual glass wells.
• The Brass Holder: The glass tray sits within an elegant, minimalist brass wirework frame. The frame features curved handles on either side ending in decorative, ball-shaped finials, and the set rests on four small brass ball feet.
• Lids: Each glass well has a matching opaline glass lid topped with a small brass finial that coordinates with the metal holder.

Origin and Estimated Age

Based on the style and materials, this piece is likely of French origin and dates to the mid-20th century (c. 1940–1955).

• Manufacturing Style: The clean, transitional lines of the brass holder and the use of monochromatic opaline glass are characteristic of French decorative arts from the late Art Deco through the post-war period.
• Portieux Vallerysthal: This specific shade of blue opaline glass and the design of the ball-and-wire brass mounts are hallmarks of the famous French glassworks Portieux Vallerysthal. They were renowned for their high-quality opaline glass desk sets and vanity items produced during this era.
• Market Context: These sets were popular luxury items intended for residential writing desks and were exported globally from France during the mid-century.