Copper Arts & Crafts Inkstand

This Arts & Crafts double inkstand is an example of the Birmingham School or Liberty style, where the “honesty of materials” (copper and brass) is elevated through hand-wrought textures and colorful enamel accents.

Description

• The Structure: The inkstand features a wide, rectangular base of hand-hammered copper with upward-curving ends to create an area for pens.
• The Inkwells: It holds two square copper reservoirs, each topped with a hinged lid. These lids are the focal point, featuring an inset enamel plaque.
• The Enamel Decoration: The enamel work is in a “Ruskin” style, featuring swirling iridescent blues, greens, reds, and yellows.
• Mixed Metals: The contrast between the warm, reddish tone of the copper tray and the yellow-gold of the brass rivets is intentional, highlighting the structural components of the piece rather than hiding them.

Origin and Potential Designers

This piece reflects the high-end output of the British Arts & Crafts movement centered in the West Midlands.

Liberty & Co.

According to the 1905 Liberty & Co. catalogs (including the “Yuletide Gifts” and “Jewellery and Metalwork” editions) and historical records of the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, here is the identification for this copper, brass, and enamel double inkstand.

The 1905 Liberty & Co. Connection

While Liberty & Co. is most famous for its “Tudric” pewter and “Cymric” silver ranges, the store retailed a vast array of “hand-wrought” copper and brass items from independent workshops during the Arts & Crafts movement.

• Copper and Brass Series: This piece likely belongs to Liberty’s broader “Hand-Wrought Copper and Brass” series, which was often sourced from the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft. These items were frequently unbranded.

Estimated Age & Location

• Where: Birmingham or London, England.
• When: Circa 1900–1910. This was the height of the British Arts & Crafts movement.

Historical Significance

In the early 1900s, copper and brass were chosen specifically as a rejection of mass-produced, Victorian “clutter”. The “hammer marks” were left visible to prove that the item was made by hand, making these desk stands a symbol of the owner’s sophisticated, progressive taste.