ANTIQUE SILVER INKSTANDS
Our extensive range of antique sterling silver inkstands and cut crystal silver inkwells are all available for secure online purchase. Simply click on the photos to see an enlarged image of any antique silver inkwell. Our collection includes sterling silver double inkstands and silver capstan inkwells. Alternatively, all of our antique inkwells can be seen in our shop at the London Silver Vaults. You may also be interested in Antique Silver Bells or Antique Silver Ink Blotters or Antique Silver Pen Trays.
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#j5098 - |
An Antique Victorian Sterling Silver and hand-cut crystal inkstand paper weight, having a square body with chamfered upper edges, a plain round mount and a flat-topped hinged lid, and with a removable glass liner, all sitting on a flat-cut plain base. Made by John Grinsell and Sons of London in 1898. The dimensions of this fine antique silver and crystal inkstand are height 7 cms (2.75 inches), and 9 cms (3.5 inches) square. |
£395 |
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#5804 - |
A beautiful Antique Victorian Sterling Silver and hand-cut crystal inkstand, having a round body with a hand-pierced and hand-chased overlay with floral and scroll decoration, a hinged lid with an applied floral border, and sitting on a hand-cut star flat base. This very pretty silver and crystal inkstand was made by William Comyns of London in 1897. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver and crystal inkstand are height 6 cms (2.3 inches), and diameter 9 cms (3.5 inches). |
£475 |
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#5803 - |
A handsome Antique Sterling Silver large Capstan inkwell, having a plain hexagonal body, with a hinged lid, a glass insert, and a front pen rest. This elegant antique silver inkwell was made by Walker and Hall of Sheffield in 1915. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver capstan style inkwell are height 6 cms (2.3 inches), and width at widest point 15.5 cms (6 inches). Please note that the glass insert is slightly chipped on its upper edge. |
£495 |
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#d2181 - |
An Antique Victorian Sterling Silver capstan-style single inkstand, having a plain round body with hand-chased reeded decoration, a central hinged lid surrounded by slots for feather pens, with a removable glass liner, and attached to a plain round base. Made by Sibray, Hall & Co., of London in 1897. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver inkstand are height 6 cms (2.5 inches), diameter 15 cms (6 inches), and it weighs approx. 310g (10 troy ounces). |
£545 |
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#l7518 - |
A very pretty and unusual Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver galleried double inkstand, having a triangular body with three hand-pierced scroll-work gallery sides, a removable central single crystal inkwell with a hinged lid, all sitting on a flat base. This beautiful silver inkstand was made by Sibray Hall and Co., of London in 1903. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver inkstand are width 17 cms (6.75 inches), height 6 cms (2.3 inches), and it weighs approx. 130g (4.2 troy ounces). |
£575 |
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#5756 - |
An elegant Antique Sterling Silver single bottle inkstand, with a plain oval boat-shaped body, having an applied reeded border, a single removable cut-crystal ink bottle with hinged lid, and all sitting on four cast flanged feet. This pretty antique silver inkstand was made by Mappin and Webb of Sheffield in 1911. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique sterling silver inkstand are length 21 cms (8.25 inches), width 9.5 cms (3.75 inches), and it weighs approx. 150g (4.8 troy ounces). |
£645 |
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#l4528 - |
A very handsome Antique Victorian Sterling Silver double inkstand, having two inkwells with hand-cut crystal bodies and hinged lids, sitting on a stand with two pen-wells, and applied gadroon and shell borders, all sitting on cast flange feet. This beautiful antique silver inkstand was made by Charles Stuart Harris of London in 1901. The dimensions of this fine hand-made silver inkstand are height 8 cms (3 inches), length 23 cms (9 inches), width 16.5 cms (6.5 inches), and it weighs approx. 400g (13 troy ounces). |
£895 |
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#b7925 - |
An Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver two bottle double inkstand, with an oval boat-shaped body, having a hand-pierced gallery border and hand-engraved ends with neoclassical style engraving, two removable cut-crystal ink bottles with hinged lids, and all sitting on four cast flanged feet. Made by Hawksworth and Eyre of Sheffield in 1902. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique sterling silver double inkstand are length 28 cms (11 inches), width 14 cms (5.5 inches), and it weighs approx. 350g (11.2 troy ounces). |
£975 |
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#l1223 - |
A very elegant and large Sterling Silver heavy table inkstand, having a plain rectangular body, with cut corners, two removable square crystal ink-wells with hinged round silver lids, all sitting on four cast flange feet. Made by Henry H. Plante of London in 1963. The dimensions of this fine hand-made table inkstand are length 25.5 cms (10 inches), width 17 cms (6.75 inches), and it weighs a total of approx. 650g (21 troy ounces). |
£1,195 |
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#e2362 - |
An Antique Victorian Sterling Silver very unusual inkstand, having a shell-style body with hand-chased scallop work, a central candle holder with removable nozzle, a match holder with strike plate, an ink bottle with hinged lid and removable glass liner, a looped carrying handle, and all sitting on three cast cushion feet. Made by Finley & Taylor of London in 1888. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique inkstand are length 16.5 cms (6.5 inches), width 20 cms (8 inches), height 8.5 cms (3.3 inches), and it weighs approx. 427g (13.8 troy ounces). |
£1,875 |
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#8139 - |
A very pretty and large Antique Victorian Sterling Silver double bottle inkstand, having a rectangular body with a hand-engraved floral and scroll decoration, two pineapple shaped hand-cut crystal removable ink bottles with round domed hinged lids, together with a central taper-stick candle holder, and all sitting on four cast shell and foliate feet. Made by Samuel, Robert, and Charles Belk of Sheffield in 1867. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver double inkstand are length 30.5 cms (12 inches), width 21 cms (8.25 inches), height 18.5 cms (7.25 inches), and it weighs approx. 540g (17.4 troy ounces). |
£1,945 |
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#4816 -
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Antique Edwardian sterling silver and hand-cut crystal inkstand, having a rectangular body with chamfered corners, a pen holder groove above a curved front face, plain round silver mount with a hinged lid having an applied floral border, and all sitting on a star-cut flat base. Made by Broadway & Co., of Birmingham in 1904. The dimensions of this fine hand-made silver and crystal inkstand are height 5 cms (2 inches), length 10 cms (4 inches), and width 6.5 cms (2.5 inches). |
£295 |
SOLD |
#b9650 -
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A very handsome Art Deco Sterling Silver and hand-cut crystal inkstand, having a rectangular body with rounded corners and panelled faces, a plain round silver mount with a square hinged lid having hand-chased stepped decoration, a removable small glass liner, and all sitting on a plain cut flat base. Made by the F. C. Richards of Birmingham in 1938. The dimensions of this fine hand-made silver and crystal inkstand are height 8.5 cms (3.25 inches), length 10 cms (4 inches), and width 7 cms (2.75 inches). |
£395 |
SOLD |
#b9288 -
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A very pretty Sterling Silver inkstand, in an Arts and Crafts hand-hammered or plenished style, having a single inkwell with a hinged lid and removable glass liner, sitting on a stand with two pen-wells, applied rope-twist borders, and four ball cushion feet. Made in London in 1930. The dimensions of this fine hand-made silver inkstand are height 6.5 cms (2.5 inches), length 11 cms (4.25 inches), width 8 cms (3.25 inches), and it weighs approx. 150g (4.8 troy ounces). |
£475 |
SOLD |
#l4999 -
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A very stylish Art Deco Sterling Silver and hand-cut crystal inkstand paper weight, having a square body, a plain square mount with a flat-topped hinged lid and engine-turned border, together with a removable glass liner, and all sitting on a flat-cut plain base. This handsome Art Deco inkstand was made by Deakin and Francis of Birmingham in 1933. The dimensions of this fine hand-made silver and crystal inkstand are height 5 cms (2 inches), and 7.5 cms (3 inches) square. |
£475 |
SOLD |
#5071 -
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An Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver and hand-cut crystal inkstand, having a square body with chamfered corners, a plain round silver mount with a hinged lid and an unusual attached pen holder, and all sitting on a hand-cut hobnail pattern flat base. Made by Finnigans Ltd., of Birmingham in 1902. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver and crystal inkstand are height 9 cms (3.5 inches), and 10 cms (4 inches) square. |
£495 |
SOLD |
#4509 -
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Antique Victorian Art Nouveau sterling silver inkstand, having a hand-chased hinged lid with floral decoration, a glass insert for a smaller amount of ink, and a heavy hand-cut round crystal body that can hold a large amount of ink, with a star cut base. Made by Mappin and Webb of London in 1899. Height 12.5 cms (5 inches), diameter 10 cms (4 inches). |
£595 |
SOLD |
#j4128 -
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Antique Victorian sterling silver oval inkstand with two removable cut-crystal ink bottles. With bead edge, claw & ball feets, and hand-engraved decoration. Made by Martin & Hall of Sheffield in 1898. Length 24 cms (9.5 inches), width 9 cms (3.5 inches), height 8 cms (3 inches). |
£695 |
SOLD |
#d3770 -
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A very pretty Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver galleried double inkstand, having a rectangular body with three hand-pierced scroll-work gallery sides, an applied gadroon front border, two square hand-cut crystal removable ink bottles with round hinged lids, together with two applied pen-rest scrolls, all sitting on four ball feet. Made by George Wish of Sheffield in 1905. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver double inkstand are length 22 cms (8.75 inches), width 14 cms (5.5 inches), height 5 cms (2 inches), and it weighs approx. 334g (10.8 troy ounces). |
£1,275 |
SOLD |
#j9869 -
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An Antique Victorian Sterling Silver inkstand, having a rectangular body with gadroon and shell border, two square hand-cut crystal removable ink bottles with round hinged lids, all sitting on four cast foliate and claw feet. Made by Henry Wilkinson & Co., of London in 1899. The dimensions of this fine hand-made antique silver double inkstand are length 25 cms (10 inches), width 16 cms (6.3 inches), height 8 cms (3.25 inches), and it weighs approx. 395g (12.6 troy ounces). |
£1,375 |
SOLD |
#b9856 -
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A very handsome and unusual Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver and hand-cut crystal combination inkstand paper weight and clock, having a square body with chamfered upper edges, a plain round mount and a domed hinged lid with hand-engraved floral decoration, the lid enclosing a very fine wind-up clock with black Roman numerals and a white face, all sitting on a flat base with a hand-cut hobnail pattern. Made by Henry Matthews of Birmingham in 1905. The dimensions of this fine antique silver and crystal combination inkstand and clock are height 10 cms (4 inches), and 10 cms (4 inches) square. |
£1,975 |
SOLD |
#j3632 -
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A very pretty Antique Victorian Sterling Silver gallery inkstand, having hand-pierced scroll and floral decoration, applied gadroon borders, two removable crystal inkwells with hinged lids, and all sitting on four cast foliate feet. This beautiful antique silver galleried inkstand was made by William J. Barnard of London in 1886. The dimensions of this fine hand-made silver inkstand are length 22 cms (8.75 inches), width 13 cms (5 inches), height 8 cms (3 inches), and it weighs approx. 620g (20 troy ounces). |
£1,975 |
SOLD |
#j6909 -
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Antique Georgian sterling silver inkstand, having a rectangular body with gadroon and shell border, single pen-well, three hand-cut crystal bottles held within pierced inkwell galleries, all sitting on four cast foliate feet. The glass inkwells are for pens (quills), pounce, and ink. Made by William Plummer of London in 1772. Length 18 cms (7.25 inches), width 11 cms (4.25 inches), height 7.5 cms (3 inches). Weight approx. 240g (7.7 troy ounces). |
£2,275 |
SOLD |
#j8741 -
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Sterling silver Treasury inkstand, having a rectanuglar body, with two hinged lids covering two compartments, with one side containing two crystal and silver inkwells, a cast scroll carrying handle, and all sitting on four cast claw and ball feet. Made by the Barnard Brothers of London in 1913. Length 25 cms (9.75 inches), height 9 cms (3.5 inches), width 16.5 cms (6.5 inches). Total weight approx. 1,354g (43.7 ounces). |
£2,985 |
SOLD |
#d1500 -
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Sterling silver very large and heavy table inkstand, having a plain rectangular body, with central bell, inkwell, and pen-holder (both with glass liners), all sitting on four cast scroll feet. Made by Robert Comyns of London in 1935. Length 32 cms (12.5 inches), width 21 cms (8.25 inches). Total weight approx. 1,886g (60.8 troy ounces). |
£3,975 |
SOLD |
Learn more about antique silver INKSTANDS here.
Antique Silver INKSTANDS description:
A desk accessory to hold writing implements including pens, quills, ink, sealing wax, taperstick, snuffer, and pounce.
Antique Silver INKSTANDS history:
There are very few examples from before 1700, and these early examples were often called a standish. Inkstands were made throughout the Georgian, Victorian, and 20th Century periods, and are still being made today.
Antique Silver INKSTANDS design:
Their basic design centered on a place to hold pens or quills, and a container for ink. More complex designs included boxes or draws for sealing wax, containers for pounce (used for drying ink - see pounce pots), taper-stick holders with a dunce-cap snuffer, and sometimes a bell for summoning a servant for posting. Other styles had pierced gallery edges, whilst the larger Treasury inkstands were dual-sided, with two pen-wells, for the large partners desks. Many had more than one ink-well for different ink colours.
Antique Silver INKSTANDS collectors note:
It is very important to check that all removable parts are hallmarked. This includes the ink-well lids and rings, bells, boxes and drawers, tapersticks, snuffers, and of course the main body. All marks should be clear. Check to make sure that any glass ink-wells are original and have not been damaged. If there is a pierced gallery look closely at the piercing to make sure that there is nothing missing. Check for repairs to legs and look for thin spots where monograms or crests have been removed.