Sterling Silver Inkwell with Piqué Lid

This English sterling silver capstan inkwell, hallmarked by William Comyns & Sons, London, 1912, features a lid adorned with a pique design. (“Piqué” is a decorative technique where materials like silver are inlaid into a base material, often tortoiseshell to create intricate patterns). The lid’s piqué design includes musical symbols, specifically a lyre and a horn trumpet.

There is no glass liner. The front of the inkwell is engraved “21^st July 1912”. The ‘orange peel” finish in the photos is from a reflection of the walls of the light box. The surface of the inkwell is smooth.

William Comyns & Sons was a renowned silversmith firm in London, known for producing high-quality silverware. The hallmark indicates that this inkwell was crafted in 1912, during a period when the firm was at the height of its production.