Sterling silver desk inkwell in a late Victorian style with Gothic influences.
The elliptical central basin of the inkwell is enlivened by a refined embossment depicting the scene of Saint George and the dragon, a symbol of victory and protection. A perforated silver dome with a hinged lid encloses and protects the original glass ink reservoir, held in place at the bottom by a hinged pin. The rim is finely fretworked with scrollwork and floral decorations.
The inkwell was made in London in 1896 by the silversmiths Heaton Bros., and its hallmarks include the Lion Passant (Sterling), the Leopard’s Head (London), and the date letter “a” (1896).
The object was donated to the Reverend George Herbert West, a distinguished architectural historian and vicar of Selsey, by Wilfrid (Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, a famous English poet, diplomat, and traveler, contemporary or recent?) in 1902, as evidenced by the dedication engraved on the back.
It should be noted that Saint George is the patron saint of England, and 1902 was the year of Edward VII’s coronation; a time of intense patriotic fervor. The subject represents the triumph of good over evil, a theme dear to a man of the church.
London 1896

Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 14.5 x 18 x 4 cm
Net weight: 213 g