Russian Silvered Bronze Bear Inkwell, Russia, 1870

Wonderfully charming and boasting a high level of detail, this bronze walrus also serves as an inkwell. The incredible artistry of Viennese bronze work i...

Malachite is one of Russia’s most prestigious stones, and its use in the creation of this rare and opulent inkwell indicates commission and ownership by an individual of considerable status. Wonderful doré bronze accents are the perfect complement to the vivid green stone. Two dipping wells and pen tray make this inkwell as functional as it is beautiful, circa 1890. Dimensions: 18 1/4” wide x 11” deep x 5 1/2” high. The 19th century proved to be the golden age of Russian malachite. The stone became a sign of prestige and a token of wealth so much so that Russian papers of the time wrote: “To afford having a big piece wrought in malachite is synonymous to owning diamonds.” Due to malachite's relatively close proximity, Russian tsars could easily obtain the malachite they needed to decorate their lavish palaces, such as the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, paneling walls and commissioning beautiful inlaid works of art. Year after year the Russian (Romanov) treasury paid increasingly unreasonable prices to hoard the best malachite, much of which went into Romanov palaces and extravagant objects d’art. The Hermitage Museum possesses a collection of over 200 examples of this “palatial” malachite...

A bronze sculpture of a hand with an open palm. Resting on the palm is a bronze object that resembles a traditional spinning top. The hand appears to be life-sized (Small Children s...

Gilt bronze goat inkwell, circa 1875.

Gilt bronze equestrian inkwell, circa 1870.

French Empire style (19th Cent) bronze dore inkwell with perched eagle and acorn finial (signed A. MARIONNETt)

Patinated bronze urn-shaped inkwell rests on three winged-horses evoking movement and action. The body of the inkwell is decorated with faces among garlands and the lid is topped by a seated putti holding fruitVenetian patinated bronze figural inkwell...

Antique Vienna Bronze Bear with Blanket Item e7280 A beautiful bronze statue of a wandering bear spreading out his blanket to rest. A hat and wal...

Napoleon Bonaparte bronze desk inkwell, signed Pinedo with foundry mark. Mounted over a Green Alps marble. Antique signed 19th large bronze ...

More of an indictment of the Spanish conquest of North America than a celebration, this quite extraordinary, large bronze inkwell depicts a Conquistador, holding sword and whip, seat...