A substantial copper inkwell designed by Richard Llewellyn Rathbone and made by Jesson, Birkett & Co, circa 1905.

This inkwell is a documented Rathbone design and many were made with Rathbone’s own makers mark. This one though has been made by Jesson, Birkett & Co in around 1905. Rathbone sold many of his designs for cabinet handles and inkwells to the Faulkner Bronze Co and Jesson, Birkett & Co between 1902 and 1905. This particular inkwell was illustrated in The Architectural Review, Vol .9, 1901. The caption states that the pieces were designed by the renowned architect C.F.A. Voysey and made by R. LL. Rathbone. Although Rathbone did make some inkwell designs for Voysey my feeling is that this particular design is pure Rathbone.

The inkwell is a very large size and quite heavy with a hand planished finish all over and a gorgeous patina. The base has a simple decorative pattern in repousse. The glass inkwell may be original as it is a perfect fit.

The inkwell has the Jesson, Birkett & Co makers marks stamped on the underside along with the design number “R 671”. In the Jesson, Birkett & Co catalogues the “R” denoted designs that the firm had bought from Rathbone. Jesson, Birkett & Co kept the original Rathbone design numbers  and 671 is the earliest number I have yet come across suggesting the design is from around 1900.