Brass Inkstand with Impressed Courtier Scenes

Description

• Material: The stand is cast in a heavy, gilded brass.
• Form: It features an ornate, asymmetrical silhouette with scrolling rocaille (shell-like) motifs and a built-in pen tray at the front.
• The Inkwell: A central, integrated well is topped with a hinged lid decorated with a four-lobed foliate pattern.
• Insert: It retains its original green glass insert.

Impressed Scenes

Two scenes are depicted in 18th-century “Gallant” costume, which was a hallmark of the Louis XV Revival style.

• Left Scene: Depicts a man in a frock coat and breeches standing before a seated woman in a wide-skirted gown. This represents a courtship or “gallant” scene, common in Rococo art meant to evoke a sense of nostalgic elegance.
• Right Scene: Shows a seated figure playing a lute or mandolin. The presence of musical instruments in these scenes symbolizes harmony and romance, further cementing the piece’s Romantic-era theme.

Age, Maker, and Origin

• Age: Circa 1880–1900. While it emulates the mid-18th-century style, the casting technique and the “busy” Victorian interpretation of those motifs point to the late 19th-century Belle Époque.
• Maker: The piece is unmarked on the underside, which is common for brass desk accessories of this era.
• Origin: Most likely France. The “Fête Galante” (courtship party) theme was a specialty of Parisian brass founders like Max Le Verrier or Tahan, who often exported these high-quality “Articles de Paris” to the British and American markets.