Handbag

France

About 1900

See More of the Collection

Heavy rectangular inkwell of cast iron resting on a total of ten block feet, the base in the form of a Gothic architectural structure comprised on each long side of a colonnade of three ogee arches and on each short side of two ogee arches with blind Gothic trefoils, crockets, and leafy finials with small battlements in between, each corner a kind of shield with leafy motifs, the inkwell proper with two openings for sand and ink (the glass inserts now missing) with covers decorated with organic motifs and stylized leaf finials, in the middle a central well with tapered and fluted body and leafy lip and foot (the cover is missing).
Round box with miniature on top surrounded by rhinestones around inner and outer edges.
Obverse: Triple conjoined portraits staggered in profile right. Reverse: The three members of the triumvirate at a table with a map dividing the Roman world between them.
Large covered vase of white stoneware covered with a deep, glossy blue glaze, white relief, and gilding (Victoria Ware), the square base with gilt edges and on each of the four sides a stylized florette in white relief highlighted in gold with leafy white and gold elements extending from each side, the round foot with a band of overlapping acanthus leaves in gold and a band of white and gold oak vines with acorns, the body of the vase is urn shaped and the lower body is decorated with large, stylized, feather-shaped leaves (stiff leaf or waterleaf motifs) in white relief with gold between stylized, gilded lotus plants, the central body is decorated with heavy floral swags in white relief and highlighted in gold, held together with long gold ribbons and anchored with gold lion masks, the wide, flat shoulder with a double gilded border and between this gold acanthus leaves, the tapered neck with stylized, feather-shaped leaves in white relief and highlighted in gold between heavily gilded anthemion motifs, the neck edge with a band of gold beading, with two scrolled, leafy handles in white and gold, the domed cover with similar feather-shaped leaf and lotus motifs, and with a blue tear-drop finial.