Chicken-in-a-Pot Inkwell

This chicken-in-a-pot porcelain inkwell is likely a figural Old Paris French porcelain.

• The base resembles a pot or basket.
• The lid is shaped like a seated chicken (hen).
• It includes the original porcelain insert for the ink.

The style, featuring an animal figure on a decorative base, is characteristic of the mid-Victorian era and is frequently associated with French porcelain makers, particularly those in the Vieux Paris (Old Paris) tradition.

Intended Use: Novelty or Functional?

This inkwell was most likely intended as a decorative and novelty item for a desk, rather than a child’s school supply.

• Novelty/Decorative Use: Figural inkwells like this were popular desk accessories in the 19th century, designed to be visually appealing and add character to a study or drawing room. They were common, mass-produced items meant for the home of an adult or a teenager.
• Use by Children: While children in the 19th and early 20th centuries did learn to write with dip pens, their school inkwells were typically much simpler, often integrated directly into the desk or a small, plain ceramic or glass pot to minimize distraction and breakage.

Children and Dip Pens

Children were expected to transition to writing with a dip pen and ink as soon as their manual dexterity allowed for it, which was generally in the early years of formal schooling.

• Timeline: Metal nib dip pens largely replaced quills starting in the 1820s and were standard writing instruments throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Age: Children would often begin learning to use ink and a dip pen around the age of 8 to 10 in the mid-to-late 19th century, after mastering basic letter forms with pencil or slate. This was a critical part of their penmanship education.