Porcelain Inkwell with Jadeite Lid

This inkwell is an example of Edward I. Farmer’s craftsmanship, combining Chinese and European influences. The inkwell features:

• Porcelain Bowl: The antique porcelain bowl has a light brown background adorned with garden rocks, peonies leaves, and flowers, a popular theme during the KangXi period. There are fine hairlines repaired near the bowl base, which have been blended into the rock and flower color on the bowl.
• Jadeite Lid: The lid is sterling silver, covered with a white and mottled green jadeite, finely carved with a motif of a boy and girl. On top of the jade plate, there is a finely carved red agate hen.

The inkwell is marked “Edward I. Farmer Inc. Sterling”. Edward I. Farmer, born in 1872, was an American artist and dealer renowned for his unique decorative arts. He specialized in creating decorative lamps and accessories using antique Chinese jades and porcelains, often mounting these precious materials in silver and gilt-bronze. This inkwell is a typical Edward I. Farmer style from that period.