Antique Brass & Glass Inkwell Unusual Captive Screw-Top Lid – c.1900

It isn’t simply a conventional hinged inkwell lid: it has an unusual screw-top closure which remains captive on the hinged fitting, so the cap can be unscrewed and then lifted back without becoming detached.

Displayed with other items illustration only for sale separately

5 cm square

4 cm tall

Antique Brass & Glass Inkwell with Unusual Captive Screw-Top Lid – c.1900

Suggested price: £45.00

A particularly appealing antique desk inkwell, probably dating from the late Victorian to Edwardian period, circa 1890–1910, with a substantial square clear-glass reservoir and brass-mounted top.

What really sets this example apart is its unusual screw-top lid mechanism. Rather than having the more commonly encountered simple hinged flap, the circular brass cap screws securely over the ink opening and is retained by its hinged fitting, allowing it to be opened without the lid becoming separated from the inkwell. It is a wonderfully tactile little piece of period engineering and gives the inkwell considerably more character.

The brass top is simply but attractively decorated with concentric engraved circles, echoed on the circular screw cap. Beneath is the central opening for dipping a pen into the ink reservoir.

The heavy moulded glass body has gently concave sides and retains historic ink staining and residue, lovely evidence of its original working life. This was very much a practical piece of everyday desk equipment rather than something made purely for decoration.

Before self-filling fountain pens became widespread, an inkwell was an essential part of the writing desk. Today this example makes a fascinating piece of Victorian/Edwardian writing and office social history, as well as a handsome decorative accessory for a desk, study or library.

Condition: Good antique condition with the expected surface marks, scratches, tarnishing and patination from age and use. Historic ink staining is visible within the glass reservoir. The unusual screw-top and retaining mechanism are present. Please study all photographs as these form an important part of the condition description.

Date: Circa 1890–1910

Material: Heavy moulded glass and brass

Type: Dip pen inkwell / desk inkwell

Special feature: Captive screw-top lid mechanism

Why we love it

The lid makes this one. Screw-top inkwells are much less ordinary than the familiar flip-top type, and the clever captive arrangement means the cap remains attached when opened. Together with the old ink staining, it gives the piece that lovely sense of being a genuinely used bit of working desk equipment.

Suggested listing price: £45

because that unusual screw mechanism gives you something specific to sell beyond “antique glass inkwell.” It is exactly the sort of mechanical detail collectors notice.