Dachshund Double Inkstand

Antique German Jugendstil Double Inkstand by Hugo Wurster

Manufacturer: Hugo Wurster, Neustadt (Black Forest, Germany)

Model / Design Number: 3590

Period: Circa 1900–1910 (Jugendstil Era)

Material: Patinated Art Metal (Cast brass or bronze-finished metal alloy)

Description

• Central Figural Group: The centerpiece of this desk set features a pair of dachshunds (Dackels) positioned on a raised, rectangular central platform. The dog on the left is depicted in a relaxed, seated pose with its tail curled downward, while the right-hand dachshund stands alert, facing slightly forward. Both figures exhibit lifelike detail, capturing the breed’s characteristic long, low silhouette, drooping ears, and attentive gaze.
• Inkwells: Flanking the canine platform are two integrated, square-lidded inkwells. The hinged lids feature a beautiful, low-relief floral motif of sweeping blossoms and branches—a quintessential hallmark of the German Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) movement. The lids open to reveal circular wells holding glass inserts.
• Pen Tray & Base Texture: The front of the inkstand seamlessly slopes forward into a wide, integrated, semi-cylindrical trough designed to serve as a pen rest. The entire base – including the sweep of the pen tray and the lower perimeter of the central platform – is finished with a stylized, combed texture mimicking stylized grass or organic currents.
• Patina & Markings: The inkstand is finished in a rich, aged golden-bronze patina that beautifully accentuates the details of the casting. The piece corresponds to Hugo Wurster’s catalog pattern No. 3590, a versatile base design from the Neustadt foundry that was used to showcase different animal motifs for the turn-of-the-century European luxury market.

The Manufacturer: Hugo Wurster – Neustadt (H.W.N.)

The initials H.W.N. stand for Hugo Wurster, a metalware foundry and manufacturer located in Neustadt in the Black Forest region of Germany.

While the Black Forest is globally famous for its clockmakers—such as the massive Winterhalder clock factory (Hanns Ludwig Winterhalder, who coincidentally used a similar HWN mark on clock movements)—the region also hosted highly specialized art metal foundries that produced fine brass, bronze, and plated desk accessories. Hugo Wurster’s foundry was an established German maker known for casting high-quality decorative metalwork, including detailed animal figures and desk ephemera.