A Novelty Silver Inkwell
with a Clear Glass Liner
with a Clear Glass Liner
Mark of Singleton, Benda & Company, London, 1902
1 ¾ in (4.5 cm) high, 2 ½ in (6.4 cm) wide
Singleton, Benda & Company was established in 1892 as a direct importer of Japanese silverware and jewellery into the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Under the ownership of Montague Levy, it entered marks at the London Assay Office in 1900. The chairman in 1901 was noted as Charles Williamson Milne.
This inkwell is reminiscent of the Japanese ivory okimonos produced during the Meiji Period. In Japanese culture, the skull was symbolic of death and mortality, and was often employed in decorative arts. Though Japanese okimonos of this form might be placed in the home as reminders of the futility of life, this western rendering of the subject would have appealed more as a novelty.
This inkwell is reminiscent of the Japanese ivory okimonos produced during the Meiji Period. In Japanese culture, the skull was symbolic of death and mortality, and was often employed in decorative arts. Though Japanese okimonos of this form might be placed in the home as reminders of the futility of life, this western rendering of the subject would have appealed more as a novelty.
