Marshall Fields’ Horsemen

This bronze inkwell is part of an eight-piece desk set that was made for Mashall Fields Department Store, Chicago, Illinois. Inscribed “M.F. & Co.” the top of the hinged, sculpted lid depicts two horses and riders. Marked on the inside of the lid: MADE IN OUR CRAFT SHOP MARSHALL FIELD & CO. The Viking Celtic Revival design features a “scale and key” pattern. Marshall Fields made these desk pieces in a variety of finishes. Three are shown here.

Instead of the usual glass insert, within this inkwell is a sophisticated inkwell designed and patented by Gustav Sengbusch. The Marshall Field bronze is a decorative case housing a rather common yet effective glass and hard rubber Sengbusch inkwell. Sengbusch invented and patented his famous “Self-Casing Inkstand” in 1903 and set up a company, the Sengbusch Self-Closing Inkstand Co., in Milwaukee, WI. Sengbusch’s improvement to ordinary inkwells was to add a floating stopper that kept the ink clean (no dust or dirt) as well as preventing accidental spilling. This inkstand has a 1914 patent date, and a No.62 Sengbusch model.