Stamped Brass Equestrian Inkstand

This equestrian inkstand is a nice example of early 20th-century English novelty desk accessories.

Description

• Materials & Construction: The stand is crafted from stamped and embossed brass with delicate beading and rococo-style leaf scrollwork at the front. It features a sweeping arch formed by a large horseshoe studded with raised nails, which serves as a rack to rest dip pens. A smaller horseshoe ornament hangs centrally within the arch.
• The Inkwell: Centered on the base is a heavy, panel-molded, and swirl-fluted clear glass inkwell. The matching brass “lift-off” lid (no hinge) is embossed with a classical floral relief motif surrounded by ornate baroque scrollwork.
• The Base: The underside reveals an open, quatrefoil-like structural cut-out design that holds the glass inkwell.

Date and Maker

• Dating: This piece dates to circa 1900 – 1910. Equestrian-themed desk wares surged in popularity across Great Britain during this period due to an obsession with horse racing, hunting, and country sports.
• Maker: Like many utilitarian novelty brass items of this vintage, it is unmarked by a specific manufacturer’s stamp or hallmark. During this period, items of stamped and press-molded brass—often utilizing interchangeable components like horseshoes, inkwells, and cast lids—were produced in prolific quantities by Birmingham-based metalwork foundries and hardware manufacturers (such as those in England’s West Midlands “Black Country” manufacturing district), rather than individual silversmiths. Consequently, these pieces were retailed wholesale through commercial stationery and fancy-goods catalogs without bearing maker’s marks.