Inkwell Elkington & Co. England, 19th century

ELKINGTON & CO. inkwell. England, 19th century.
Patinated bronze and bone.
Stamp on the back.
Measurements: 22 x 27,5 x 20,5 cm.

If there is one thing that distinguishes this splendid inkwell, it is the animalistic character of its main body: two perfectly detailed elephant heads emerge from the same core. The tusks, which have been made of bone, reinforce the realistic character of the composition. The lid of the inkwell has a pharaoh's head as a handle, an element that responds to the "Return to Egypt", a clear example of this taste for the Egyptian, which will develop not only in the early nineteenth century but will be taken up again with force at the end of the century, in the context of historicism.

The silverware brand Elkington & Co was founded in 1815 in Birmingham, England, by the Elkington cousins. Its creations achieved remarkable success and it was one of the leading producers of silver plating. Elkington received several royal orders of appointment, as well as an Imperial and Royal Order of Appointment from the Emperor of Austria. One of his most famous pieces is the electrotype copy of the Jerningham Wine Cooler, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum.