Gilded Bronze and Cut-Glass Inkwell

1. Components and Materials

• Inkwell Body: The body is made of heavy, clear glass. The weight and clarity suggest a high lead content.
• Overlay/Mounts: The glass body is encased and topped with gilded bronze mounts (often referred to as ormolu when referring to the French technique of using finely ground gold/mercury amalgam, or simply a high-quality gold plating on bronze). The bronze serves both a functional and decorative purpose, protecting the glass and providing ornate detail.
• Lid: The hinged lid is also bronze, mirroring the heavy construction of the base mounts.

1. Decoration and Style

• Theme: The bronze overlay is intricately modeled with a rich Bacchic/Viticultural theme featuring grape clusters and grape leaves. This motif is classical and was very popular in decorative arts, symbolizing abundance and celebration.
• Lid Decoration: The top of the lid continues the theme with relief-molded or cast ornamentation, centered by a grape cluster or foliage design. The use of gilding makes the metalwork stand out vividly against the clear, faceted glass.

III. Summary and Context

The combination of the precise, formal cutting of the glass and the naturalistic, elaborate molding of the gilded bronze mounts places this inkwell firmly within the aesthetic of Late Neoclassicism or the decorative opulence of the Belle Époque era in Europe. It represents a functional item elevated to a true decorative art object, where two distinct fine crafts—glass cutting and bronze casting/gilding—were combined to create a single, dramatic piece.