Onyx Double Inkstand with Elephant Figurine

This Art Deco double inkstand is made from polished green onyx (frequently referred to in period trade as Algerian or South American onyx/marble) paired with a patinated metal elephant.

Description

• The Base & Pen Tray: The entire assembly rests on a heavy, variegated light-green onyx base with characteristic white clouding and veining. The front features tiered, stepped pen channel.
• The Inkwells: Flanking the center are two matching square-topped onyx inkwells with beveled corners. Each lid is mounted via a brass hinge secured with small screws. Inside, the original glass ink inserts are intact, complete with their removable glass funnel-form dip liners.
• The Elephant Figurine: Centered on the tray is a walking elephant rendered in dark patinated spelter (zinc alloy). The animal is captured mid-stride with its trunk raised high and detailed tusks (frequently fashioned from bone).

Where Was It Made?

Desk sets of this style were primarily produced in Europe, with France, Austria (Vienna), and Germany acting as the main manufacturing hubs for high-end luxury desk accessories during the early 20th century. Paris and Vienna, in particular, were famous for combining exotic imported green and amber onyx stones with finely cast spelter or bronze animal sculptures.

When Was It Made?

This piece dates to the Art Deco period, specifically circa 1920–1930.

• Stylistic Clues: The geometric, stepped architecture of the inkwell housings, the clean, streamlined linear troughs of the pen tray, and the fascination with exotic wildlife (such as safari and jungle animals popularized by colonial expositions and the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris) are all hallmarks of classic 1920s Art Deco design.