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Dog in a Barrel of Ink

Categories Figural - Animals & Living Creatures
Type dog
Material White metal, Wood
Manufacturer Undetermined
Origin Germany
Date or Era circa 1880
Measuring 4 ½” x 4 ¾” x 6 ¼”

19th Century inkstand featuring a clothed dog who has fallen into a barrel of ink. The ink is overflowing as the dog attempts to pull himself out of the barrel.

A cross-brace underneath supports the barrel that reads (in German): “Ich gebe drum mein ganzes Haus / Kam ich nur aus der tinte raus”.

An interpretive (rhyming) translation might be:

I would give all I possess/ To get out of this inky mess.

or

I’d give everything you can think, if only I could get out of this ink.

The dog, the overflowing ink, and the panel with text are made of metal (zinc composite) and the barrel is wooden.

Estimated value: $250

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