Instruments Extraordinaire

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Instruments Extraordinaire

Instruments ExtraordinaireInstruments ExtraordinaireInstruments Extraordinaire
  • Introduction
  • Asia / Islam
  • Europe & Britain
  • French Origins
  • Stylus-Quill-Penner
  • Early Fountain Pens
  • Hawkins-Mordan Patent
  • Virginia Roots
  • Jefferson Pen Analysis
  • American Pencil Makers
  • American Gold Pen Makers
  • Gold Pen Advertising
  • Philip Poole ‘HIS NIBS’
  • Inkwells
  • Inkwells & Writing Sets
  • Writing Sets
  • Cyphers

Inkwells & Inkstands

FrenchBritishAmerican

British Inkstands

James Perry & Co.

Perryian Inkstand


Perry & Co. Double Patent “Perryian” Filter-Inkstand.

The cistern is decorated with polychrome floral sprays in gilt-bordered cartouches on a dark blue background.



James Perry & Co.

Perryian Inkstand


Perry & Co. Double Patent “Perryian” Filter-Inkstand.

The cistern is decorated with polychrome floral sprays in gilt-bordered cartouches on a dark blue background.



James Perry & Co.

Perryian Inkstand


Perry & Co. Double Patent “Perryian” Filter-Inkstand.

The cistern is decorated with polychrome floral sprays in gilt-bordered cartouches on a dark blue background.



Perryian Inkstand

The Ink was filtered as it was pumped from the cistern into the covered conical dipping well. 


The pump action raising and lowering the ink into the dipping well by raising and lowering the lid..


Circa 1840. 100mm or 4 inches in height.

Perryian Inkstand

The Ink was filtered as it was pumped from the cistern into the covered conical dipping well. The pump action occurs by raising and lowering the lid. Circa 1840. 100mm or 4 inches in height.

Perryian Inkstand

The base contains a few markings that may lead to specific artists or other identification possibilities.

Perryian Patent Pneumatic Inkstand

James Perry  was an active inventor with patent awards in Britain and France.


The Perryian Patent Pneumatic Inkstand was produced circa 1839. An extreme rarity, the model was an interim design between the all porcelain  patent inkstands and the Perryian Double Patent Filter Inkstand.

Perryian Patent Pneumatic Inkstand


This model may have been the first edition of the “Pneumatic” inkstand produced. Michael Findlay exhibits ,in his book “Western Writing Implements”, the same model with the exception that the Finlay inkstand is fitted with a button plunger to press and apply pressure to fill the dipping well.


This model may have utilized the cork to apply pressure , a function similar to the prior porcelain models.

Perryian Patent Pneumatic Inkstand


The bottom of the inkstand contains no marks .


The shape and size of the porcelain section and top are 


Circa 1839.

Perryian Patent Inkstand Evolution

Perry began manufacture of a dipping reservoir atop an inkstand earlier in the 1830s. Exhibited is a robin egg blue inkstand that functions in a simple mechanism whereby a cork in the open hole is pressed downward, applying air compression to force ink into the dipping well.

Perryian Patent Inkstand Evolution

Perry & Companies began manufacture of a dipping reservoir atop an inkstand earlier in the 1830s. Exhibited


Perry & Cos Patent Inkstand was sold in London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfort, and New York.

Perryian Patent Inkstand Evolution

Perry began manufacture of a dipping reservoir atop an inkstand earlier in the 1830s. Exhibited is a robin egg blue inkstand that functions in a simple mechanism whereby a cork in the open hole is pressed downward, applying air compression to force ink into the dipping well.

Thomas De La Rue & Co.

Isobath Patent Reservoir Inkstand

Manufactured by Doulton Lambeth, The Isobath Patent Reservoir Inkstand was produced primarily in the late 1880s into the early  1890s.


The inkwell was manufactured for DeLaRue & Co., however the Doulton factory produced these inkstands in very small quantities.


The dipping well is relatively small in comparison the size of this inkwell. Despite the size, it can accommodate even  the largest nibs.


Upon removing the lid, one finds the ingenious hemispherical shaped rubber mechanism used to maintain a constant ink level. Designed by William Thomas Shaw for which he was awarded a Patent on the 15th December 1888.


Doulton items usually have factory marks, but they are often signed by the talented artists who hand-decorated them. The inkwell is marked  “Manufactured for” and “Patented Reservoir Inkstand, London. THE ISOBATH, THOS. DELARUE”  and marked “DOULTON LAMBETH”.


The incised monogram 'EP' on the base, indicates that this inkstand was decorated by artist Emily Partington. Sisters Hannah and Florence Barlow and Eliza Simmance were other artists whose signatures are found on these rarities.  The original  design was created by John Huskinson, a designer at the Lambeth factory.

Dipping Well


The dipping well is relatively small in comparison the size of this inkwell. Despite the size, it can accommodate even  the largest nibs.


Manufactured by Doulton Lambeth

Upon removing the lid, one finds the ingenious hemispherical shaped rubber mechanism used to maintain a constant ink level. Designed by William Thomas Shaw for which he was awarded a Patent on the 15th December 1888.

Manufactured by Doulton Lambeth


Upon removing the lid, one finds the ingenious hemispherical shaped rubber mechanism used to maintain a constant ink level. 


Designed by William Thomas Shaw for which he was awarded a Patent on the 15th December 1888.

Doulton Lambeth Artist Emily Partington

The incised monogram 'EP' on the base, indicates that this inkstand was decorated by artist Emily Partington. Sisters Hannah and Florence Barlow and Eliza Simmance were other artists whose signatures are found on these rarities.  The original  design was created by John Huskinson, a designer at the Lambeth factory.


Doulton items usually have factory marks, but they are often signed by the talented artists who hand-decorated them. The inkwell is marked  “Manufactured for” and “Patented Reservoir Inkstand, London. THE ISOBATH, THOS. DELARUE”  and marked “DOULTON LAMBETH”.

American Inkstands

The Davis Automatic Inkstand

Developed in New York and patented by Emry Davis on October 22, 1889, patent no. 413,390 launched the Davis Inkstand business.

Subsequent patents for improvements on 14 February 1893, Letters Patent number 491,640, and other follow-on patents continued to refine the inkstand product.

Exhibited is a beautiful Art Nouveau design consisting of dore bronze with cut and copper wheel engraved crystal. The theme includes butterflies among foliage.

This example is a rare early dual inkwell version. Later examples are typically single inkwells associated with later patents awards in 1899, 1902, and 1907.




Example of the top of later Davis inkwell with patent dates (from the collection).

Davis 1889 Patent Drawing

The 1889 patent drawing.

Davis 1893 Patent Drawing

Davis continued improvements in his 1893 inkwell / inkstand patent.

Davis 1893 Patent Drawing


The entire automatic inkwell system, with the exception of the glass ink storage facility, is fabricated of Goodyear patent vulcanized hard rubber.


Dual colors enabled a writer to quickly distinguish ink color choices. Earliest patent date on this inkstand  is 1889.

Patent Dates 1889 & 1893

Exhibited is  the left side of the top of the Davis inkwell with patent dates.

Patent Dates 1899, 1902, 1905, & 1907


Example of the top of later Davis inkwell with patent dates (from the collection)..

Davis 1889 & 1893 Patent Dates


Exhibited is  the right side of the top of the depicted Davis inkwell with patent dates.

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