Three Piece Presentation Desk Set

Description

The set is a three-piece set featuring ornate, die-stamped handles in a style influenced by the Art Nouveau movement, specifically utilizing “Shell and Scroll” motifs.

• The Roller Blotter: This is the most substantial piece. It features a nickel-plated or silver-plated frame holding a blue blotting cylinder (approximately 2.5 inches wide). This was the “high-tech” version of the rocking blotter, designed to roll quickly over a signature to dry the ink.
• The Desktop Seal: A classic hand seal with a flat, circular base. In this era, these were used with sticks of colored wax to seal personal correspondence.
• The Ink Eraser: This is a “scratching-out” tool. Before chemical erasers, if you made a mistake with a dip pen, you used that sharp, leaf-shaped steel blade to carefully scrape away the top layer of paper fibers and the dried ink.

Origin & Age

• Origin: Given the lack of hallmarks and the handle style, these are almost certainly silverplated. If they were British sterling, they would have a “Lion Passant” mark; if American sterling, they would be stamped “Sterling.” These were likely produced by a high-quality manufacturer like Meriden Britannia (USA) or an English firm like Walker & Hall. The handles are likely hollow ware (two stamped halves soldered together), which was a common way to make desk tools feel substantial but stay affordable.
• Age: Circa 1900–1910. The “scallop shell” at the base of the handles was a hugely popular motif during this transition from Victorian “busy-ness” to the more flowing lines of Art Nouveau.