This antique, Black Forest inkwell was made in Brienz, Switzerland in the early 1900’s. It features a lidded, barrel-shaped inkwell, a pen tray, and a reclining hound dog with glass eyes. It is a full 8″ long x 3″ tall x 5″ wide. It is in excellent condition with some minor wear to the wood along the front edge of the pen tray. The glass insert for the inkwell is missing. Such Black Forest carvings are world- renown, and in Europe they were considered a symbol of luxury and wealth. During the 1900’s, the popularity of Black Forest carvings grew in many overseas markets as well. The highest demand was for those items that depicted animals such as bears, stags, boars, eagles and dogs. Dogs were far more rare than any of the other animals, and therefore, they are of much higher value.
This gorgeous, highly-detailed inkwell and pen tray would make a wonderful addition to a Black Forest collection. Even with out the inkwell insert, it makes quite a handsome desk accessory that can be used to hold pens, but also stamps, paperclips, or other small items.