Silverplated Double Inkstand – Seated Woman

This silverplated double inkstand features a central figure of a woman in period dress, seated, holding a document (perhaps a letter). The figure is detailed, with visible folds in her dress and distinct facial features. Each inkwell has a hinged lid and is positioned on either side of the woman. The base of the inkstand is rectangular with rounded corners, the front serving as a pen tray. The Kayser company hallmark is impressed on the underside.

The J. P. Kayser Company, near Dusseldorf, (Krefeld) Germany was a German metalwork firm founded in 1885 near Dusseldorf by Jean Kayser. They made many outdoor hunting subjects. The company won many awards. They received a gold medal at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900, another gold medal at the First Exhibition of Modern Art in Turin 1902 and carried off a similar prize at the German-National-trade Exhibition in Dusseldorf. They received a gold medal at the St. Louis Universal Exhibition in 1904. J.P Kayser and Son had around 400 workers in 1898. In 1900, 500 founders alone were working for the firm. At the time of the Paris Exhibition, the workforce reached 800 workers.