Sterling Silver, Antique Flintlock Shotgun, Collectibles Estate Sale Auction
Lot 23:
Description
A Renaissance Revival style cast brass sculpture may have been a desk inkwell featuring a tiered square base but we are unsure of this. The base is decorated with an incised diaper pattern on the top surface and a molded egg-and-dart border around the bottom edge. The central body consists of a square block with high-relief cast mascaron faces on each side, set within scrolling foliate ornamentation. Four turned turrets with fluted sides and lobed collars are positioned at the corners. A domed lid rests in the center, decorated with chased scrolls and oval medallions. Surmounting the lid is a pierced decorative section with further mascaron motifs, ending in a turned column. The entire piece is held together by internal rods and four square nuts visible on the base. No maker names, monograms, or marks of any kind are visible on the item surfaces or underside.
Height: 9.5 inches
Width: 4.25 inches.
Condition report:
The inkwell is missing its original interior liner and the top decorative finial cap, leaving the threaded rod exposed (photos 1, 3, 5). Green verdigris oxidation is present on the uppermost turned column and the threaded rod (photos 1, 2, 5). There is general surface wear and a darkened patina across the brass consistent with age, along with light dust and dirt in the deep casting recesses. The assembly is structurally sound.
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