Portrait of a Merchant by Jan Gossaert Circa 1530 - National Gallery of Art
Portrait of a Merchant by Jan Gossaert Circa 1530 - National Gallery of Art
French silver and goldsmiths produced some of the finest gold and silver objet d'art beginning in the 17th century including examples containing Napoleon's Bees.
With one of the longest histories of regulated hallmarking, the Poinçon or French hallmark system was formed in the 13th century.
French Penners and Baradelles were crafted from horn, wood, tortoise shell, ivory, silver, and gold.
Explore the shapes, functionality, and intrigue of French designs.
Explore the technology that preceded Waterman and may have stimulated the ingenuity of late 19th & early 20th century fountain pen discoveries.
Nicolas Bion (1652-1723) rose gold Porte Crayon Combo, similar design to one portrayed in his Traité de la Construction et des Principaux Usages des Instrumens de Mathematique, Paris, 1709, with yellow gold highlights and intricate goldwork, Circa 1685-1722. Hallmarked with 7 unique punches which are undergoing analysis.
Although Napoleon adopted the bee as his court symbol in 1804, the history of bee symbology in the French Empire was discovered in 1653 in Tournai in the tomb of Childeric I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty in 457.
The Bee is considered the oldest symbol of the sovereigns of France.
The depicted multi-color 18k gold porte crayon is decorated with multiple gold bees. The history of use of the bee began in about the 5th Century with Childeric, a Salian-Frank leader who seized power in the 480's. Childeric's personal treasure hoard was discovered in 1653 in Tounai near the French border with Belgium. A study was written and published in 1655 depicting the over 300 stylized gold bees with garnet wings found in Childeric's tomb.
Notice the acanthus and unusual detail in this multi-color gold instrument.
Porte Crayon end is hallmarked on the pen holder and the Porte Crayon. The original crayon / lead is present.
The addition of a quill mount may have occurred later. The quill nib mount is hallmarked twice.
In Sotheby's book Drawing Instruments by Maya Hambly, the author mentions Early Instrument Makers Christoff Schissler (1530-1609), Jacobus & Domenicus Lusuerg (1680-1710), Nicolas Bion (1652-1723), Micheal Butterfield (1635-1724), and Chapotot the Elder (1670-1686).
Hambly also depicts a page exhibiting a similar mechanism to the Bion Porte Crayon (items C & D) in slide 9 (slide 10 in Stone’s English translation) as portrayed in Joseph Furttenbach’s Mechanischer Reissladen (Augsburg, 1644).
The Baradelles were a distinguished family of scientific & mathematical instrument makers in Paris.
Nicolas-Jacques Baradelle (1701-after 1772) was the senior member. He apprenticed with N. la Butte (in 1717), Jacques le Maire (also in 1717), and Nicolas Bion (from 1719 to 1725), and lived and worked at Bion's address on the Quai de l'Horloge in Paris.
By 1752, he was operating down the street under the sign à l'Observatoire in homage to his godfather, Jacques Cassini, director of the Paris Observatory between 1712 and 1756.
Baradelle also had a close connection at the Academie des Sciences, and employed members' data in some of his instruments.
His grandsons included the instrument makers Nicolas-Alexandre Baradelle (ca. 1740-post 1791), Nicolas-Elois Baradelle (1749-1814), and Jean-Louis-Jacques Baradelle (1752-1794), all of whom were in the Founders' Company.
See Weiss, Martin P. M. (2019). A. D. Morrison-Low; Sara J. Schechner; Paolo Brenni . How Scientific Instruments Have Changed Hands. xxxii + 239 pp., figs., tables, index. Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2016. ISBN 9789004324930. Isis 110 (2):410-411.
Depicted is a French Late 18th Century Drafting Tool Kit. The beautiful set is boxed in a Tortoise Inlaid, blue Silk lined, box with key.
Also exhibited is a Baradelle protractor, Meurand pied du Roy or King's Foot, Baradelle fils Brass Mathematical Sector, and 2 engraved horn protractors.
House of Baradelle high quality Metaux [Metal] Iconography, finely engraved as the workshop of Baradelle was reputed to produce is present.
The slide rule or calculator of the period, capable of a complex array of calculations.
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Les Metaux or The Metals iconography exhibiting gold, lead, silver, copper, iron and tin using alchemy symbols
Baradelle Protractor accompanied by two horn protractors, all hand engraved.
Various drawing tools including compass, extensions, porte crayon, line pens, in ivory, brass, and steel.
The First French Empire founded in 1804, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire after 1809 and also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century.
The outer leather is red, the inner leather is green with green silk lining, with accompanying inkwell and ink sander or powder.
Leather envelope, extended by a leather case also, equipped with a silk strap to keep everything closed in an easily transported roll format.
The envelope serves as storage for papers and the case contains a cylinder, consisting of five parts.
Acquisition through Osenat from Fontainebleau, France
With a leather covering, it offers successively starting from the bottom: an inkwell, a receptacle for the ink sander or powder, a compartment for the goose feather quills a housing for the wax stamps and a terminal lid.
Each upper section bottom serves as the lid for the lower section.
First Empire. French work. Length: 32 cm, Diameter: 5.5cm.
Riottot
Riottot
Riottot
Riottot
Riottot
Riottot
Jean-Benoît Mallat, born in Angoulême in 1805. He had 2 siblings Lise MALLAT and another.
Jean-Benoit married Marie-Marguerite Mallat (born Chenaud) in 1833, at age 28.
Marie was born on September 15 1810. They had one son: Henri Claude Mallat.
After six years of apprenticeship under a watchmaker, he moved to Paris. His skill as a precision mechanic interested the illusionist Robert Houdin, who entrusted him with the development and manufacture of the devices necessary for some of his illusions. Mallat accompanied him on a tour of England where he met the Mitchell brothers. John and William Mitchell were also consulted by Houdin because of their reputed engineering skills. This meeting likely influenced the trajectory of Mallat’s career.
In 1830, Mallat returned to Paris and established himself on rue Neuve Saint-François to practice his trade as a watchmaker. An inventor at heart, he devoted himself to research on writing instruments.
Depicted is a Mallat unalterable metallic nib with ruby tips, described in his 1842 Patent.
From 1843-1845, Mallat produced approximately 9,000 of his 1842/1843 patent Gold Pen nibs, including ruby & osmiuret of iridium tipped. As per an example in this collection, some Gold Peb nibs were produced with no tipping.
Jean-Benoit passed away in 1877, at age 72.
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Patent No. 10859, awarded on 30 September 1842, For an unalterable metallic nib.
Mr. Mallat stated in his patent … “Struck by the innumerable disadvantages presented by all the feathers invented to date, I imagined a feather which combined the advantages of remaining unalterable, however long it was used.
I have added to these advantages a more solid arrangement, which protects the pen from all inconvenience, keeps the ink at a suitable distance, allowing it to flow only according to the need of the beak, while preventing it from being able to spurt out on paper.
The body of the nib is of gold, plain or other acid-proof metal which reddens in the ink; moreover, the ends of the beaks are adorned with rubies or another unalterable stone.
The tutor that I add under the pen, as seen in a, fig. 2°, supports the beaks, which makes it easy to arm the springs so that they exert a slight pressure on the stake, which means that the beaks can never cross, since they arrive with force to fix on a point. solid and unchanging.
The tutor prevents the spurting of the ink in that it moderates the elasticity of the beaks, and maintains them when the nib is raised to form the hairlines.”
Mallat found that gold gave the nib great flexibility, while a rib composed of platinum & silver fixed under the nib maintained even firmness, preventing the two gold strips from “crossing” while constituting a reservoir for the ink. To remedy the wear of gold nib points, he inserted ruby chips to each tip.
On June 30, 1843, Mr. Mallat filed an improvement to his 1842 patent.
Mallat’s improvement was the addition of iridium tipping.
Quoted from a translation of his patent improvement language…
“PATENT OF ADDITION AND IMPROVEMENT.
By my primitive patent, the manufacture of my nibs was in gold, platinum or other metal, and at their end I fitted or crimped points in rubies, hard stones or other unalterable parts.
These parts are osmium or iridium which I solder to the tip of my pen nibs, to replace my rubies or other hard stones, which do not have the same advantages that metal presents to me as regards use and manufacture.
The pen, armed at its extremities with rubies or hard stones, at first offers difficulty for manufacture, and hence raises the price twice; then danger of breaking by falling.
On the contrary, the nib to which I weld the osmium, the iridium presents more guarantee as for the solidity, and facilitates the manufacture by giving the means of making it more elegant and finer.
Moreover, this metal is so strong that the metal of the nib will break rather than it.”
He later began to apply grains of iridium or osmium to nib tips. Gold was expensive and iridium even more so. The cost of his gold and silver penholders, coupled with the threaded, fixed gold nib resulted in only wealthy elites having accessibility to this product. This pen is scarce due to extremely low production.
1846 Scientific Notices.
REPORT BY M. DE SILVESTRE, OF THE COMMITTEE OF ECONOMICAL ARTS, ON THE MANUFACTURE OF THE METALLIC PENS OF JEAN BENOIT MALLAT.
Translated from the " Bulletin de la Société d'Encouragement" for the London Journal of Arts, Sciences, and Manufactures, and Repertory of Patent Inventions:
Gentlemen, although the invention of metallic pens dates about fifty years back, it is only within the last fifteen years that these pens have come into very general use, and, consequently, that their manufacture has acquired a degree of importance; in practice, however, many serious inconveniences have been found to arise from the nature of the substance of which they are composed, as well as from the processes employed in their manufacture. Thus, in a given quantity of metallic pens, a very small number, only, are made to suit the purchaser; for, in general, they work badly on paper, and quickly deteriorate when used; in consequence also of the little importance attached to the temper of these pens, many of them bend from want of sufficient temper, whilst others break from being too much tempered.
The means hitherto adopted to avoid these inconveniences has been, to offer a large produce for consumption at a very low price, in order, as much as possible, to decrease the loss arising from the number of ill made and useless pens, a means which is evidently inefficacious.
M. Mallat has proposed to introduce into the manufacture of metallic pens certain improvements, which would certainly increase their cost, but at the same time make them infinitely better and more durable.
The nibs of M. Mallat's pens are not obtained by one stroke of the punch. Each pen is composed of several parts, which, from the nature of the substances employed in their composition, are equally invulnerable to exterior agents: these different parts are, the nibs, the stem or barrel, and the points.
The two nibs, manufactured separately by the machine, and then connected by means of the stem, are formed from an alloy of gold, platinum, silver, and copper, in such proportions that, though retaining the appearance of the gold, they combine, with the unchangeability of this metal, the most perfect elasticity.
The stem or barrel, on which the nibs are rivetted, is composed of platinum and silver.
M. Mallat employs, in the construction of the points of the nibs, the ruby, and another still harder substance, called osmiuret of iridium. This alloy, in the granular state as obtained from the platinum ore, is soldered to the extremity of each nib, and is ground to the desired form by means of emery and diamond dust. The osmiuret of iridium, on account of its extreme hardness, completely resists the action of the Turkey stone, which is commonly used among jewellers.
As regards the ruby points,they are firmly fixed to the extremity of each nib, and then ground by the ordinary process.
The assiduity with which M. Mallat has conducted his manufacture for several years,has led to the most satisfactory results; for, in addition to his pens being composed of inoxydizable substances, which assures them great durability, their points are always smooth, which facilitates their use on all sorts of paper; the consumer has therefore merely to choose a pen of a suitable degree of hardness.
Finally, the best testimony which the Committee of Economical Arts can furnish, in proof of the eulogium which they deem worthy to bestow on M. Mallat, is the number of orders and sales entered in his books.
These entries serve to show the progress of his manufacture,and consequently the estimation in which his productions are held.
During the first year, 1843, M. Mallat delivered for consumption nearly fifteen hundred pens ; the second year this number increased to about two thousand five hundred ; the third year arose to five thousand ; and in the present year, 1846, M. Mallat anticipates a demand for ten thousand pens, and yet each pen cannot be sold under six francs.
I may add that M. Mallat is the inventor of several machines which are essential to his manufacture, and which are highly creditable to his ingenuity.
The examples from the collection include a cut and polished ruby tipped Gold Pen nib, a patent Gold Pen nib without tipping mounted in a special pen holder for which the 1842 Gold Pen nib marked Mallat Brevete is known for, and a classic form Mallat pen holder fitted with a Bramah clamp for a quill nib.
The pen holders are all 18k gold. The pen holder handles were crafted with 18k gold, tortoise shell, or ivory.
A special ivory handled pen holder for which the 1842 Gold Pen nib marked Mallat Brevete is known for but mounted with a J. Bramah clamp for a quill nib composed of .950 silver.
The Dieppe ivory handle is exceptionally long and intricately carved, the 8 inch length offered a fragility that rarely survived.
Mr. Mallat decided to investigate manufacture of steel nibs. From 1842 to 1853, he filed a number of patents for improvements and the innovations were widely imitated. Many of the innovations related to structures to facilitate the retention of ink using ribs, slits, or folds. His products enabled authors to write up to two hundred words without having to refill the nib. The steel pen nib models under his brand, to the chagrin of French industrialists, were made in England under negotiated agreements, at Gillott and later at Perry and Leonardt, all of whom were inspired by his innovations in their own steel pen nib productions.
The Mallat business began to manufacture other calligraphy related products including sealing wax.
After Mallat traveled to London he was inspired to invest his ideas into the steel pen business.
The depicted group of steel pen nib boxes contain a variety of Mallat nibs, reflecting the diversity of his ideas.
In 1864, he created one of the first commercially exploited reservoir penholders, commercialized as the SIPHOÏDE. This pen was constructed primarily of woods, with ink filling performed by a threaded wooden rod suction filling mechanism and ink flow regulation to the nib by a wood bolt.
Jean-Benoît Mallat died in 1877, a father leaving a prosperous business to his son.
Source: A Passion for Pens
by Pierre Harry & Jean-Pierre Lacroux
This is the typical Mallat Brevete Gold Pen nib that is a two-piece gold strip nib affixed to the platinum/silver support below.
Early pre 1842 Mallat Brevete Gold Pen nib with Cut Ruby Tipping. Note that this early Gold Pen nib is two separate strips of gold with cut ruby tipping mounted, and each gold strip is affixed to the platinum/silver support below.
Note the extension mechanism that is uniquely Mallat in design containing a threaded hole enabling the Mallat Brevete Gold Pen nib to be bolted to the end.
Benedict & Barney was a Syracuse, New York Gold Pen nib maker who sold “French Fountain Gold Pens” according to advertising in Buffalo, New York and Boston, Mass advertisements.
French Fountain Pens by Mallat via Benedict & Barney was somewhat successful. They were in business until at least 1851.
Advertising of French Fountain Pens was mostly near and along the French Canadian border.
The specially made pen holder consists of a Bagley “To-the-Trade” 2-section extension pen holder combo pen/pencil system with the Mallat design threaded Gold Pen nib receptacle.
Depicted is an example of a Bagley silver penholder with a Mallat Style Gold Pen Holder with a Benedict & Barney Gold Pen nib mounted using the Mallat bolt-on method.
The Benedict & Barney French Gold Pen nibs were composed of the the same combination of gold, platinum, silver, and copper, with an under plate composed of platinum and silver on which the nibs were rivetted.
Joseph-Frédéric-Benoît Charrière (March 19, 1803 – April 28, 1876) was a Swiss-born French manufacturer of surgical instruments. He founded his company in 1820 and quickly grew to employ over 400 employees. Charriere exhibited products at expositions in Paris, London, and New York from 1834 to 1862, winning gold, silver, and Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur awards.
He developed and improved a number of instruments, benefitting from the introduction of nickel silver, stainless steel, and rubber. This instrument is a combination Porte Crayon and Porte Mine (Pencil).
The Charriere medical instrument catalogue prices a Porte Crayon and depicts such within, translated as "H.Porte-pierre.- Le porte-pierre (fig.12) is an instrument intended to facilitate the application of silver azotate and to preserve moisture; it consists of a small [porte crayon] silver pencil holder or better platinum, fixed on a handle usually of ebony lined with a screw thread and a case, screwed on the handle, and into which the pencil holder enter In the thickness of the handle is another small case also screwed and can contain a spare pencil."
The instrument is constructed in a manner not unlike a surgical instrument. The entire instrument is .950 silver and the porte-crayon tests as high purity platinum.
The instrument is cased in a leather covered box with clasp locks.
The Poinçon are under analysis.
The 1853 patent addresses a novel clamp or porte crayon solution to medical tool development.
This patent drawing depicts a variety of methods for holding objects, including a device similar to a porte crayon.
Founded in 1847 by Charles Murat, jewelry production included porte crayon, porte plume, and porte mine writing instruments in gold and silver. Murat Paris remains a popular designer of jewelry and accessories. Based in Paris, Charles Murat Specialized in Silver Jewelry Since 1847 & continues today.
A part of the collection includes a porte crayon in silver with gold of spectacular Art Nouveau design, a porte mine (pencil) in classic Fleur de Lis,, and the depicted porte plume (pen) in silver with gold Cross of Lorraine.
Avant Garde silver porte plume (pen) with gold Cross of Lorraine .
Testing of metals indicates that Murat creations within the collection are all composed of .950 silver and 14k gold.
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