A 19th century Australian silver-mounted emu egg inkstand

A 19th century Australian silver-mounted emu egg inkstand,

unmarked, circa 1875,

the egg with pierced mounts and drop ring handles, the hinged cover modelled as a standing emu, applied with an inscribed plaque ' presented to Edward Blondell by the Eagle Farm Sabbath School, Queensland, 1875', on a raised oval foot on an ebonised oval vase, length 19cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Dr Venetia Newall.