Pair Of Antique Louis XVI Inkwells In Silver Plating With Gadrooned Decoration, 18th Century

A superb pair of desk inkwells in thick silver plating over brass, demonstrating refined and authentic craftsmanship.
These objects, in a very pure Louis XVI style, date from the late 18th century, around 1780, a period when a complete desk with inkwells was reserved for a literate elite.
The historical rarity of a complete and intact pair makes these pieces particularly sought after, as they reflect a certain art of living in the 18th century.
These inkwells were made using the 18th-century artisanal technique of copper plating, where a thin sheet of silver is fused to the base metal before stamping and hammering, allowing for delicate and lasting reliefs; a skill now lost.

Height: 8 cm
Diameter: 7 cm
Weight: 159 g and 177 g.

Condition:
Excellent, natural patina, a few tiny flecks of brass on one lid, not due to wear, but to the age of the piece.

This pair of inkwells is distinguished by numerous clear signs of 18th-century authenticity and handcrafted production: *Geometric irregularities are visible to the naked eye: the circles and rings are not perfectly concentric, and the overlapping circular sections exhibit slight misalignments, indicating hand-shaping.
*The gadroons and small friezes vary slightly in width, length, and shape, reflecting hand-finishing after stamping, a typical feature of late 18th-century office objects. *The lid locking system is also characteristic: grooves and notches, combined with two small tenons on the base.
*Hammering of the surfaces has revealed the brass base in places, particularly on one lid. This is a natural consequence of the silver plate stretching over the support and not wear from use. Observe the shape of these marks; they do not correspond to wear.
*Inside, the support for the (now missing) glass jars is a perfect example of handcraftsmanship: three vertical, arched rods welded to the base, with a sealed ring at their ends to hold the glass jar.
This design is far removed from any industrial production and confirms the early date and the attention paid to functionality. These elements confirm that the inkwells are authentic, handcrafted, and date from the late 18th century, and that every detail of their manufacture is a direct testament to the expertise of the workshops of the period. The artisanal and technical evidence allows us to date the object to between 1780 and 1800, a period when the pure Louis XVI style was still applied to office objects, making these inkwells historically and culturally significant pieces for a collector of writing implements.