Honking Goose Inkwell

Description

This piece is a cold-painted cast iron figural inkwell modeled in the shape of an agitated or vocalizing goose set upon a rectangular base.

• Pose & Anatomy: The goose stands with its head held high, neck arched backward, and beak wide open in a squawking or hissing posture. Its wings are partially outstretched horizontally to form the lid of the reservoir.
• Mechanism & Interior: The upper back and wing section is hinged at the base of the neck/upper back. When lifted, it swings open to reveal a recessed, brass reservoir (insert missing) set into the body.
• Base & Construction: The bird stands on two large, webbed feet attached to a solid, rectangular cast iron base with a recessed underside, secured by a single central iron screw.
• Color & Finish: Cold-painted in realistic tones—off-white/cream texturing along the body to depict feathers, bright orange-red on the open beak and webbed feet, and a dark forest-green finish on the rectangular base. Paint loss, minor surface oxidization, and darkening around the hinge area indicate authentic age and wear.

Origin, Manufacturer & Date

• Manufacturer: These cold-painted cast iron figural inkwells were produced primarily by German metalworks (such as those in the Geislingen or Ruhr districts). While this piece lacks an overt maker’s mark or patent stamp on the underside, its construction—a two-piece cast iron assembly joined by a center screw—is characteristic of late 19th and early 20th-century novelty ironware.
• Date of Manufacture: Circa 1890s – 1910s
• Context: Figural and “animalier” desktop accessories enjoyed immense popularity during this period. The hidden-hinge design—where an integral part of the animal’s anatomy (in this case, the wings and upper back) conceals the inkwell — was a hallmark of whimsical desk novelties from the turn of the century.