French Boquet Pump Inkwell

This French pump inkwell is a classic mid-19th-century example of the “Encrier Boquet,” a design that successfully combined elegant porcelain artistry with advanced mechanical engineering.

Description

• Aesthetic: The inkwell features a white porcelain body decorated with hand-painted blue floral motifs and fine blue banding along the base.
• Structure: It is designed as a central vertical cylinder with an integrated scalloped front tray that serves as a reservoir for small desk items like nibs or wafers.
• Fittings: Two small porcelain opening are positioned on either side of the dipping font to serve as quill or pen holders.
• Hardware: The top is fitted with a heavy brass plunger cap and a matching large, knurled knob.

Mechanism and Function

The “Boquet” system was celebrated for its reliability because it utilized hydrostatic displacement to keep ink fresh and accessible:

1. The Plunger: The brass top is attached to a metal rod and a heavy internal porcelain block (the plunger).
2. Displacement Action: By turning the top knob, the user lowers this porcelain weight into the main ink-filled reservoir.
3. Filling the Font: This displacement forces the ink to rise through an internal channel and flow into the small porcelain dipping font at the front.
4. Preservation: When finished, reversing the turn lifts the plunger, creating a vacuum that draws the ink back into the main airtight cylinder. This prevented the ink from evaporating or thickening due to air exposure.

Historical Significance

The markings on the knob confirm this piece’s provenance:

• “ENCRIER BOQUET”: Identifies this as an authentic product of Louis-Honoré Boquet, the inventor who pioneered this system.
• “1839 MEDAILLE D’ARGENT”: This marks the design’s victory at the 1839 Paris Industrial Exposition, where it was awarded a silver medal for its superior technical reliability.

“INVENTEUR BTE PARIS”: This indicates Boquet held the official patent (Breveté) for this displacement system in Paris, ensuring his mechanical design remained exclusive to his workshop.