Although fountain pens were specifically designed to lessen the need for inkwells, one cannot deny the pleasure of filling a handsome pen from a handsome inkwell, rather than a commercial bottle. Inkwells were desk top necessities for centuries, when pens had to be replenished after a few written words. They still constitute a handsome addition to a desk, along with a reminder of days when handwriting was still regarded as an admirable craft.
Inkwells date back to the Middle Ages, when knowing how to read and write were restricted to nobility and religious orders. Writing instruments and ink were both made by hand. Cutting a quill that stayed sharp and clear or compounding a liquid that flowed smoothly were necessary skills for early craftsmen. Those able to write could also demand the best; early inkwells were the proud products of gold- and silver-smiths, as well as court artists, and were made to enhance the cultivated reputations of wealthy patrons.
Collectible inkwells were made in abundance even into the 1920s. Many commercial enterprises, including banks and the post office provided common pens and inkwells as a customer convenience for those not yet adjusted to or able to afford new-fangled fountain pens.
![]() Chinese Solid Brass Ram Inkwell US $25.00
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![]() Antique Vintage Chinese Turquoise Monkey Double Inkwell Signed Rare US $550.00
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![]() Inkwell Blue Glass Umbrella Shape Eight Panels US $20.00
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