National Brass & Iron Works Double Inkstand

Description

The Cast Stand

• Style: Designed in the opulent Rococo Revival style, popular in the late 19th century. The piece features heavy, symmetrical, and deeply dimensioned openwork (reticulated) cast metal consisting of sweeping C-scrolls, S-scrolls, and multi-petaled floral blossoms.
• Structure: The stand features two square, recessed wells designed to cradle a pair of inkwells. Between the wells is an elegant, stylized butterfly or foliate flourish.
• Pen Rest: The front slope functions as an integrated pen tray. It is anchored by a prominent, smooth, polished blank cartouche in the center, flanked by a dense, textured fish-scale or stippled background pattern.
• Base & Crest: The entire frame stands on ornate scrolling feet and is crowned by a high-reaching, decorative openwork back splat/crest.
• Material & Finish: The frame is composed of cast iron that has been treated with a lustrous, heavy brass-plated or gilt finish. The underside retains a textured, sand-cast appearance beneath the gold plating.

The Inkwells & Lids

• Glass Inkwells: A matching pair of heavy, thick-walled, clear glass or crystal inkwells. They are cast in a clean cube shape with square shoulders, featuring a cylindrical internal reservoir.
• The Lids: Each inkwell is topped with a heavy, domed metal collar and lid that matches the stand’s finish. The tops are cast with a radiating sunburst or overlapping stylized daisy-petal design, finished with a multi-tiered ball finial.

Maker’s Marks & Production Date

The underside of the pen tray is cleanly incised with the mark N B & I W 3115.

• The Letters: Stand for the National Brass & Iron Works.
• The Number: 3115 is the specific mold, catalog, or inventory pattern number assigned to this double inkstand design.
• Production Date: This piece can be securely dated between 1891 and 1911. Because the company was only in operation for exactly 20 years, any piece bearing this stamp belongs exclusively to this late-Victorian/Gilded Age window.

Company History: National Brass & Iron Works

The National Brass & Iron Works was incorporated in 1891 in Reading, Pennsylvania. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Reading was a massive industrial hub for iron foundries and metal craftsmanship.

The company specialized strictly in high-end, artistic metal home decor (“art metal works”). Rather than utilitarian industrial castings, they built a reputation for highly detailed, luxury parlor items. Their catalog famously included:

• Ornate tabletop and easel picture frames
• Beveled vanity mirrors and candle sconces
• Banquets, parlor stands, and kerosene lamp bases
• Novelty trinket trays and desk standishes

The 1911 Closure

The company did not simply vanish when it closed its doors in 1911. In September 1911, a neighboring local business, the Gray Iron Foundry Co. (also based in Reading), purchased National Brass & Iron Works’ entire catalog of ornamental patterns. By early 1913, Gray Iron Foundry fully absorbed the physical plant and properties to use for their own expanding brass foundry, plating, and finishing departments.