Vieux Paris Porcelain Shell-Form Inkstand

Description

This is an ornate, French Rococo-revival porcelain inkstand (encrier) featuring vivid hand-painted polychrome decoration and lavish raised gold gilding.

• Form & Palette: The body is shaped as an asymmetrical shell, with the lower half forming a vibrant, fluted basin in deep rose-pink featuring delicate stippling and scrollwork, while the upper tier is finished in a contrasting soft turquoise-blue ground.
• Fittings: It is complete with its matching inset cylindrical containers—one inkwell featuring a domed lid with a finial, and one sander (pounce pot) with a perforated top featuring a cluster of six small holes for sprinkling sand to dry ink. It also features two built-in pen holders/sockets molded into the sides.
• Details: The piece is embellished with applied dimensional flowers, leafy scrolling, and heavy fire-gilt (ormolu-style) gilding accents along the rococo cartouches and borders.

Where was this made?

This inkstand was made in France (specifically as part of the “Vieux Paris” or Paris porcelain tradition, frequently associated with the renowned maker Jacob Petit in Fontainebleau and Paris).

When was this made?

It dates to the mid-19th century, approximately circa 1840–1860 (during the height of the Second Rococo revival in France).