Gilt Bronze And Cut Crystal Inkwell On A Marble Base – Louis XVI Style – 19th Century

Elegant desk inkwell resting on a square base in white-veined griotte marble, with a molded profile and hollowed gadroons, typical of the Louis XVI style. The inkwell itself is composed of a spherical reservoir in blown and cut crystal, featuring a floral decoration in slight relief. The lid is in chased gilt bronze, decorated with a relief acanthus leaf motif and topped with a seed knob. The lower mount is also in gilt bronze, decorated with a frieze of water leaves. The lid is mounted on a hinge, allowing for a functional opening. This type of object, both utilitarian and decorative, adorned bourgeois and aristocratic desks in the 19th century, often as a complement to a writing set.