How old is this inkwell?

Hi everyone,

How old dyou think this inkwell is. The clasp on the box looks more modern to me. But we're clasps that looked like that on victorian boxes.

 

travelling ink well....with box........how neat is that !!

 

Wonder if pieces aren't a marriage. Expect ink well would go into portable desk case rather than in small, fabric-lined box.

Debora

 

The word 'hasp' is quite an old one.

 

Looks like it has a collapsible pen rest.....Nathan, could you go back in and EDIT your images to "ALL FULL SIZE IMAGES" please!!! Thank you!!!!

 

Seems like there would be a bunch of ink on that fabric, too. Like, open it up and go, "OH #$%@!"

 

I love this. If that box didn't come with it, someone got very, very lucky in finding one that fits it so perfectly. Boxes for jewellery & other small valuable things used to be so much nicer than today's & now get good money in their own right. Even if it wasn't meant to travel with the ink well, it could have been a presentation box. What's the size? What does the bottom look like? Based on nothing but gut feeling, I'd say late Victorian - Edwardian.

 

I had to do some quick research as to when fountain pens became widely used. It was the 1880s so one would expect it to date to before then. Yours is very utilitarian (in an attractive way.)

Debora

 

I don't think these had a separate case. The case was the case.

Debora

 

Doesn't go in the box. The rough sides make it look like it fits in a larger desk assembly of some kind to me. Any marks on it - underneath etc??

 

On reflection... Are we sure that's really an ink well? They're deep not wide (for good reason.)

Debora

 

Unless, an ink pot sits inside the lid and the shape is driven by the pen holders?

Debora

 

or it holds a lot of ink .

 

It is a listing on ebay if that's what you meant by cropping the images the eBay listing didn't reveal much though. It does seem odd now that it isn't a fitted box like many things were hmm. Very odd and very untrustworthy

 

Looks like a curling iron heater to me...

~Cheryl

 

Blog post showing similar: http://www.kristinholt.com/archives/5057

~Cheryl

 

Me too, a container with two supports is a bit of a clue. The box isn't fitted for the heater, so not original imo.
The style looks Jugendstil, German Art Nouveau to me. Possibly other Art Nouveau.

 

I think the dating is probably circa 1890, doubt the box was originally intended for it, but wouldn't be surprised if they've been paired for most of their lives...

~Cheryl

 

Concur!

 

Oh, Wow!!! How about unscrewing that lid for us to see??????!!!! I don't think whatever-it-is, is original to the box, but it seems to fit it nicely, so I'd keep it with it!!! So, apparently some kind of fuel would go in it if these below are any indication of what it is....
I see ridges around the edges of yours, @Nathan Lindop, does the whole top oval open up also??? Actually, am not convinced of the curling iron either.....still could be for writing...........