Description
A fine William IV silver-gilt inkstand,
by William Bateman, London 1832,
rectangular form, canted corners, pierced acanthus leaf gallery, reeded foliate capped handles, on four heavy cast bracket feet with a lion masks and a foliate apron, mounted with three urns in the Gothic manner, raised ribbed pull-off covers with foliate finials, the central one for pens, the other two inkwells, with clear glass liners, length 37cm, approx. weight 85oz.
Provenance: purchased from The Roger Collection, Sotheby's 28,29,30 January 1998, lot 787. In the foot note for this item, Sotheby's mention that this 'could be a further example of a Pugin designed piece of silver'. Although there is no clear evidence for this, there are certain elements of this inkstand that would support this view.
