Inkwells - Pewter · Ceramic · Wood

Pewter or silver ink stands were rarely made before the end of the seventeenth century but they became very popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and were frequently given as gifts. The more complex ink stands included an inkwell, a sand pot, a sealing wafer holder, a bell, a wax brush and a candleholder, all placed on a generally rectangular tray that sometimes featured a groove which was used to hold the pen steady. Glass ink bottles appeared in the middle of the eighteenth century.