“The Old Salt” Fisherman Inkstand

A grizzled fisherman (“Old Salt”) seated in a rustic wooden rowboat. He wears traditional foul-weather gear: a “sou’wester” hat and heavy oilskin coat and boots. He holds an oar in his right hand and a telescope (spyglass) in his left, with a stern, determined expression as he gazes towards the horizon. Inkwell Compartment: The inkwell is concealed within a rope-wrapped mooring bollard (or bitt) located at the stern of the boat. The top of the bollard is a hinged lid that opens to reveal a white porcelain ink cup.

Date: c. 1890–1910 (Late Victorian / Edwardian)

Origin: Most likely French or Austrian.

• Why Austrian? The combination of a cast metal figure mounted inside a carved wooden object (the boat) was a very popular novelty technique used by Austrian makers (such as the famous Vienna Bronze foundries like Bergman or Geschützt) around the turn of the century.
• Why French? French foundries also excelled at these realistic “genre” scenes involving everyday people (fishermen, blacksmiths, farmers) with highly expressive faces.

Materials:

• The Boat: Carved wood (likely oak or walnut) with an intentionally exaggerated, rustic grain to simulate weathered timber.
• The Figure: Cast bronze with a dark brown/black patina.
• The Inkwell: Bronze with a ceramic (porcelain) insert.