Onyx Double Inkstand with Elephant

This is a nice example of an early 20th-century desk set, likely dating from the Art Deco period (c. 1920–1935). The materials and stylized animal figure are hallmarks of European luxury desk accessories from this era.

Detailed Description

• The Figure: The centerpiece is a cast metal elephant, finished in a rich gold-tone bronze Dore. The elephant is depicted in a dynamic pose with its trunk raised (a traditional symbol of good luck). The “faux ivory” tusks are most likely celluloid or a similar early thermoplastic, which was the standard substitute for genuine ivory in the early 1900s.
• The Base: The base is carved from green onyx (specifically Mexican or Argentinian onyx marble). You can tell by the translucent, banded layers of sea-foam green, cream, and occasional rust-colored iron oxide inclusions. It features a stepped, semicircular design with a wide, recessed “pen tray” (the long groove in the front) to hold fountain pens.
• The Inkwells: The set features double square-cut onyx inkwells. The hinged lids are mounted with brass collars. Inside, the set retains its original clear glass liners.
• Construction: The underside shows the countersunk brass nuts and screws used to secure the elephant and the inkwell housings to the stone.

Origin and Context

• Where was it made? While unmarked, this style is heavily associated with French or German (specifically Austrian/Vienna) production. French makers like Sèvres or various foundry workshops in Paris specialized in “Onyx et Bronze” sets. However, German workshops also produced high volumes of these elephant-themed sets for the export market during the 1920s.