Roosters and Hen Inkwell

This inkwell is crafted from majolica, a type of earthenware with a rich, colorful, glossy glaze. It features a lively scene of two roosters in a fight. Their bodies are modeled in detail, with defined feathers and aggressive postures. They are fighting over a nesting hen, who sits with her wings folded. The hen serves a dual purpose, functioning as the finial for the lid, which lifts to access the inkpot concealed beneath her. The base is also naturalistically modeled to resemble grassy terrain.

The underside is impressed “Made in Portugal” and is attributed to the porcelain center in Caldas da Rainha.

• Caldas da Rainha: This is a city in Portugal famous for its ceramics production since the 15th century. In the late 19th century, it became a major center for a style of expressive, naturalistic, and often whimsical majolica. The most famous ceramicist from this school was Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, but numerous other factories in the area produced similar high-quality works.
• Made in Portugal: This mark is key for dating. It signifies that the piece was created for export, and these “country of origin” marks became standard practice after the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 was passed in the United States. Therefore, this inkwell was made no earlier than the late 19th century.

Based on the style and the presence of the “Made in Portugal” mark, this inkwell was likely produced in a Caldas da Rainha factory sometime between the late 19th century and the early 20th century.