Dog Sitting on a Chair

This silver-plated inkwell features a dog, likely a pug, with expressive glass eyes. The dog is seated on a chair with a wrought iron frame, reminiscent of a chair in an ice cream parlor. This chair is part of the inkwell structure, crafted by the Meriden Silver Plate Co. The seat of the chair is hinged – the dog serves as the finial to push open the lid to access the inkwell. The piece is marked “Meriden Silver Plate Co.” along with a lion symbol and numbered 2511. Monogrammed under the lid, the insert is missing from this piece.

The Meriden Silver Plate Co. was founded in 1869 in Meriden, Connecticut, by Charles Casper. The company quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality silver-plated wares. In 1898, Meriden Silver Plate Co. became one of the original companies to join the International Silver Company, a conglomerate formed to consolidate various silver manufacturers.