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incredible inkwell in the form of the yawning face of robert walpole

FOR SALE
ITEM # 
SA1108640

Incredible Inkwell In The Form Of The Yawning Face Of Robert Walpole

£160    $202    €193
Item Number: SA1108640
Date of manufacture: 19th Century
Current Status: For sale
Seller: Prince Solomon Dorothy
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Description

It is believed that this inkwell is based on a caricature of Robert Walpole (1676-1745) a Whig Politician and who is regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain staying in post for over 20years. The caricature the inkwell is based on is by George Bickham the Younger and dated 1743 showing an image of Walpole like this inkwell yawning apparently referring to the fact Walpole was a master at getting his own way through prevarication wearing down the opposition and it worked as he was in post for 20 years.
The inkwell I understand dates to the 1830s what the relevance of this period is to Walpole I am not sure. The inkwell has a truly wonderful matt surface which I believe is termed dry glazed and it certainly helps portray the details of this inkwell so wonderfully, with his staring eyes, his individual teeth and the curls of his hair framing that elongated face. The idea was that ones quill or dipper pen would be placed in the hole in his head and the ink would be poured into his mouth, indeed it looks like this inkwell was used as there looks to be the stains of old ink both in the hole in his head and in his mouth.
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AGE - Circa 1830
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CONDITION - The inkwell is in very good condition with no chips or cracks that I can see, there is on a base a very fine and old hairline crack but my sense is that this is a firing fault and can be just seen in the final photograph at the top. There is a tiny black mark on one of his front teeth which I hope you can see from the photographs, I have looked at it through a strong magnifier and it doesn't appear to be a chip. As I have said it does appear to have been used with evidence of old ink staining both in the open mouth and in the hole in his head. There is also as I hope you can see from the photos dust/dirt which it has garnered over its long life. For me I do not see this as a fault but will leave it to its new owner to decide whether to clean or not.
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DIMENSIONS (Approx) - Length 2&3/4" / 7cm, Height 1&3/4" / 4.5cm, Depth 2&1/4" / 5.5cm
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POSTAGE - All items include the cost of packing and postage to the UK.
I send my items both Tracked & Signed For with Royal Mail’s Special Delivery Service.
I am happy to ship items to overseas buyers, please contact me prior to buying with address details and I will forward a quote deducting the cost of UK postage.
Overseas customers will be responsible for any customs charges incurred.
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RETURNS - If for any reason you are not happy with your purchase, just let me know as soon as possible and return the item to me within 14 days of receipt and I will offer a full refund if the item is returned in the same condition it was sent, the cost of return postage will be incurred by the customer.



Declaration

This item is antique. The date of manufacture has been declared as 19th Century.


Dimensions

Height = 4.5 cm (1.8")
Width = 7 cm (2.8")
Depth = 5.5 cm (2.2")


Seller Details

Prince Solomon Dorothy
PRIVATE DEALER

Kent
United Kingdom
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