A brass inkwell made by the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, circa 1900.

A great example of this well documented inkwell by the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft. The design is probably by Arthur Dixon who founded the Guild. It is a very simple inkwell with little ornamentation and a riveted construction.

This particular design was illustrated in the German periodical, Kunst und Kunsthandwerk, Vol. 11, 1898. The inkwell is shown in silver and with a small lid. The same design also appears in the Birmingham Guild of Handicrafts catalogue from circa 1900. Again, the inkwell appears with a lid but I am led to believe that they were sold with and without the lids. The glass insert is not original to the inkwell but fits very nicely. Correctly marked “BGH” to the underside.