Presented is an antique, English sterling silver and glass inkwell made in London in 1885 by Thomas Bradbury & Sons. This 19th century, Victorian piece is beautifully crafted and well constructed. The center inkwell is done in an interesting sphere or ball form and the thick glass well has grooved horizontal lines of design. The inkwell is securely bolted to the tray and can be removed. The oblong tray has raised edges, done in a sort of sleigh design and is raised on 4 decorative, shell feet. This piece has never been monogrammed.
The underside of the tray portion and the bottom collar of the inkwell are marked with the lion passant for sterling silver purity, a duty mark of Queen Victoria's head and a maker's mark for Thomas Bradbury & Sons (Thomas Bradbury III & John S. Henderson). The underside also bears the leopard's head for the city of London and a date letter K for the year 1885. The nuts on the underside bear the lion passant and the underside is engraved "Jas Aitchison, To the Queen, 60 Princes St, Edinburgh. The top collar of the inkwell is a sterling silver replacement that is marked with the lion passant, the anchor for the city of Birmingham and a date letter y for the year 1895.
This piece is in excellent condition, especially for its age. There are no damages. The center inkwell has a replacement top collar. As the hallmarks indicate, this is an old, antique replacement part, custom made to be an exact reproduction of the original. Dimensions: 9 3/4 X 4 3/8 X 2 1/4 inches. Weight: 470 grams or 1 pound.
