Inkstands

Inkstands were made to be placed on a desk. They held some type of container for ink, and possibly a sander, a pen tray, a pen, a holder for pounce, and even a candle to melt the sealing wax. Inkstands date to the eighteenth century and have been made of silver, copper, ceramics, and glass. Since the 15th century, the inkstand was sometimes called a "standish" in England. Additional inkstands may be found in these and other related categories. For more information, explore our identification guides for metal, pottery and porcelain, and glass.