Buyer Be Aware – Lady with Exposed Breasts

I have no objection to nudity, just to falsity. This inkwell is currently for sale on eBay with a “buy it now” price of $175.00 – listed as an antique Art Nouveau piece. You’ll always find this inkwell listed for sale. Some sellers list it as an Art Nouveau piece, others as an Art Deco piece. One seller suggests if you’re not into inkwells, this “naughty nymph” could be used as a candleholder.

Of the approximately twenty-four current internet listings for this inkwell, the photographs for one listed at $175 best serve my purpose.

• Look at the rough finish.
• Look how the inkwell is put together – there are two pieces screwed together, and they don’t fit well.
• The poor fit may be a result of the new Phillips head screws used. One sees “replacement” screws on more than a few of these because the original screws were of such poor quality.
• Show me a vintage Art Nouveau or Art Deco inkwell that was cast in two pieces. The casting for a vintage inkwell would have been for one complete piece.
• Almost always the inkwell insert is “missing”. (Note: it’s missing because the manufacturer never made an insert).
• For the few that do have an insert, it just doesn’t fit. Some of the pictures from this ambitious seller were taken with no insert, and the lid fits. Put in the insert and it sticks out like a sore thumb.