Featured Can anybody help with this inkwell?

Welcome, WaynePB! Very nice first post, with beautiful inkwell, restoration project, humor and... a little bit of drama
Stay tuned, you'll fit well here

About your piece, agree about the era, this mixed styles is a clue for Napoleon III in France, end Victorian in GB.
I'd begin the restore by soaking the piece in luke warm soapy water, then alcohol to remove the dried ink and grime. Polishing the mount may help to figure how it looked when new

 

Hi Kyratango and thank you like I said before I think I'll buy some metalwork and imitation gold leaf to practice on before I tackle this with 22 carat. I just magnified the inkwell Bronwen posted, thank you Bronwen the feet are very similar.

 

What a beautiful inkwell. The pin cone (pineapple ?) finial (?) should help date it. My wild guess is the 1920's. That design was popular in furniture in the early 1900's especially on bedposts. It has been poorly cleaned already so it wouldn't be amiss to complete the process. For what it's worth, I would use "Flitz" with a toothbrush then rinse with with liquid dish soap, again using a toothbrush to remove all remnants of the polish. Dab dry with a soft cloth. Once dry you might want to repeat the process to get the stubborn spots.

 

Thank you Gus and I need help. It's just odd peeling I'm afraid but it was interesting taking a magnifying glass to it just to see the old bits of gold gilt that are still attached. I can imagine it was beautiful when it was first made

 

It still is. And I think even a good clean will bring back much of its old sparkle.

 

Thank you any jewelry like I said I hope to see this as a restoration project with 22 carat gold leaf so it's going to be a long winter. starting with a good clean!

 

My other half is a Plymouth boy, thinks Cornee Land is furrin'.

 

lol!

 

I knew you were one of us. Glad we didn't scare you away. kyratango is our resident restoration miracle worker. Take a little time & search site for posts with the word 'kyratisation' in them.

Since you want the inkwell for you own enjoyment, I say to restore/not to restore strictly up to your own taste & what would most please you. My weakness is cameos & preference is for them to look as they left the cutter's hand while I don't mind the settings showing signs of their true age, as long as tarnish/corrosion do not hide the beauty or make them look like junk.

 

Great inkwell! I would not re-gild it. It should polish up nicely. Since a half hearted attempt has attempt has ruined any nice patina it may have had this can only improve it. On this I would use "Flitz" metal polish with toothbrush and scrub it vigorously. I would then scrub off the polish with liquid dish washing soap and the same toothbrush. Dry with a soft cloth. Should you decide on another round of polishing then repeat making sure that the object is dry before re-applying polish. Highlight the brass with a polish cloth. I think that the thing at the top is either a pine cone or a pineapple. The pineapple was incorporated in many objects in the late 1800's and the early 1900's. I lean towards the 1910's (?).

 

Hi Gus thanks for the advice to all those purists out there, I've decided not to re-gild the inkwell as it's coming up nicely without it. I took your advice kyratango then moved on to a paste of baking powder and lemon juice will post the results when I've finished cleaning. Hope everyone is having a good day wherever they are in the world. I'm also thinking of buying this piece but I'm not sure if the plastic is original can someone ask Kiko for her advice?

 

you may send her a SMS with this fantastic ancestor of the Eeek-Phone

 

Thrilled to see the result of the inkwell cleaning!

 

Lol I may well do Kyratango. Nice to know you're other half is a Plymouth boy ownedbybear. Is he one of those Devonians who puts the cream on his scone first then smothers it in jam because he's ashamed of it?

 

It'll be a couple of days Kyrantango but it will be worth it. I'll then shellac the metalwork just to stop it tarnishing again. I have a green lacquer and gold Waterman fountain pen I want to display next to it the two should look nice together

 

I'm going wayyyyy baaaacck to your first post hereon and am going to impart to you what I "think" (actually I think i know) what the finial on top is/represents --
it appears to me (because I have the following type tree in my yard) to be a Magnolia tree seed pod. As the red magnolia seeds which are tucked into the seed pod ripen the seed pods fall off onto the ground, busy-by-nature squirrels (and/or other critters) eat the seeds and then through their excrement do their part in conjunction with "mother nature" to ensure that more magnolia trees will be given a chance to enhance/beautify a lawn/yard.

Look up "Southern Magnolia seed pods" on-line.

 

Hi yourturntoloveit just looked it up. Just when I thought the inkwell was Victorian or French it appears it may be American as magnolia seed pods and their meaning aren't a common motif this side of the pond.

 

It was blessing to me that you posted your "question" -- I just went out to check my magnolia tree and there are quite a few of the seed pods which have turned a lovely shade of pink and are loaded with red seeds for the birds, squirrels and other "critters" who have a taste for magnolia seeds.