Double Inkstand with Large Fox Head

This double inkstand with a large fox head is an eye-catching example of 19th-century Animalier (animal-themed) decorative art, likely of French origin.

Detailed Description

• The Fox Head: The central feature is a realistically modeled fox head. It is made of cold-painted spelter (a zinc alloy), a technique where multiple layers of paint were applied to a metal casting to achieve a life-like fur texture.
• Glass Eyes: The use of inset glass eyes is a hallmark of high-quality French figural inkwells from this period, designed to give the animal a lifelike, “sly” expression.
• The “Holder” in Mouth: The brass rods or loops extending from the fox’s mouth serve has a pen holder, designed to hold a dip pen horizontally when not in use.
• Double Inkwells: The fox head is flanked by two glass inkwells, held within ornate brass galleries.
• Central Dish: The etched glass bowl at the front served as a place for a sponge (to wipe the nib) or a basin for holding small desk accessories.

Manufacturer and Origin

While many of these sets are unmarked, this style is closely associated with French firms of the Napoleon III era. The “animalier” movement, led by sculptors like Antoine-Louis Barye, made realistic animal desk accessories highly fashionable in late 19th-century Paris.

Estimated Age

• Circa 1870–1900.
• The combination of cold-painted metal, realistic glass eyes, and the specific “pen-in-mouth” mechanical aesthetic is quintessential Third Republic French design.