Leather-Cased Traveling Inkwell

This is a portable inkwell, built to be leak-proof during the rigors of 19th-century travel.

📝 Detailed Description

• Overall Form: Small, cylindrical in shape, designed to fit easily into a pocket or travel case.
• Exterior: The body is covered in brown leather with a fine, textured grain. It features metal bands of brass around the top and bottom to secure the leather and provide structural support. The lid is also leather-covered and attached via a hinge.
• Opening Mechanism: A push-button or stud on the side of the brass band releases the hinged outer lid.
• Interior/Inkwell Protection: This is the most critical feature:
  • The glass inkwell itself is set inside a brass mount.
  • It has a secondary, inner sealing cover which is essential for a traveling inkwell. This sealing cap is designed to snap shut tightly over the ink bottle to prevent spillage.
  • This inner cover is operated by a thumb tab release that lifts the cover once the outer lid is opened, allowing access to the ink.
• Material: The primary structure is brass, which is visible on the bands, the hinges, the push-button mechanism, and the interior mounts.

The Engraved Mark

The marking engraved on the inner sealing cover tells us the manufacturer:

• Mark: An anchor with the letter ‘S’ superimposed or contained within it.
• Identification: This mark is the registered trademark of Sampson Mordan & Co. (or S. Mordan & Co.) of London.
• This anchor mark is another one of S. Mordan & Co.’s recognized trade/maker’s marks. The anchor is a long-standing symbol often associated with London assay offices, but Mordan used this stylized mark for their own products. This confirms that this traveling inkwell was manufactured by the renowned English firm S. Mordan & Co., known for their high-quality mechanical and luxury goods.

• The use of this specific mark, the style of the leather case, and the complex sealing mechanism all point to the mid-Victorian period when Mordan was at its peak. Origin: London, England.
• Age Estimate: circa 1850 – 1880

This robust, leak-proof design represents the pinnacle of travel accessories from that era, ensuring the traveling writer had a reliable source of ink wherever they went.