Topic: Any idea what this object is?

[astrid]

Picked it up a while ago. It's in 2 pieces, with a smaller glass inside a larger base.

The reason I picked it up was because of the pontil mark (it is, right?), figuring that if someone had taken the trouble to blow this by hand, it should be worth the EUR 0.50. I'm still not closer to finding out what it is, though.

Shape is somewhat irregular, at the base it's 11.5 cm at the longest point, 9.5 cm at the widest. The small inner glass is 5 cm diameter at the rim, and 4.5 at the base.

I thought at first it was some sort of candle holder, but the inner glass is too small for the current size of tea lights. Or perhaps it is meant for very small cacti? Anyway, any help is appreciated.

[pamela]

Caviar? (into the small and crushed ice in the larger to keep cool) - lid missing? 

[astrid]

Wow, it suddenly looks more glamourous! As you may be able to tell, I don't eat a lot of caviar I don't see much room for a missing lid, sadly...

[Greg.]

could be an inkwell with its glass liner..?

[bOBA]

I like the inkwell idea, looks very fit for purpose. No idea of date though, but it looks a pretty thing.

I like mystery item threads. I am waiting for a bespoke, one off, purpose-built, "forum confuser" to be one day posted by a skilled glassblower! Just to keep us guessing. This item does look like an inkwell though, now it has been mentioned, the liner system looks scale-wise similar to one I have and this one looks especially well designed so that it can be lifted clear with little chance of ink hitting fingers, unlike the one I have....

Robert

[astrid]

Thanks for the input! I've looked up a couple of glass inkwell designs, and while this one didn't pop up, the idea seems to be similar, except that many ink wells seem to be covered, though not all. It seems to be the most logical suggestion.

It being an inkwell would have to make it at least several decades old... It raises a couple of new questions to me. I don't see any contemporary ink wells around these days (well, not simple ones), and the ones I see on antique programs are usually pre-war (which might fit with a pontil mark and though being a relative simple object, still being handmade - must have been a time when labour was cheap). Does anyone have a guess what period or decade to put this in? Could it be be pre-war? I've read that I it's possible to determine whether glass is old by using a blacklight (might have to buy one these days), would that also work on green coloured glass?

[Ivo]

I learned to write around 1960 and we had small inkwells set into the desk and closed off with a bakelite sliding lid. Before each writing effort, these wells had to be filled from a large bottle on the teacher's desk. We had wooden (chewable) pen holders with straight metal nibs and a little blot of chamois to wipe the pen. But 3 or 4 years later, we only used fountain pens. This was due to the invention of the plastic cartridge which made spill free writing possible. At the time it was strictly forbidden to use ball point pens as these were sure to cramp your writing style. 

Your glass holder for an ink well would be a similar design and function, providing stability on a table. There may have been a domed lid to stop the ink from drying out, or not as the case may be.

[astrid]

Thanks Ivo for helping with the date. I was a bit later in learning to write, late sixties, and while I had to use a fountain pen at first, we used cartridges, liquid ink was no longer in use at my school. I think it's safe to conclude in that case that early to mid sixties would have been the latest it could have been made.

[Carolyn Preston]

I like mystery item threads. I am waiting for a bespoke, one off, purpose-built, "forum confuser" to be one day posted by a skilled glassblower! Just to keep us guessing. This item does look like an inkwell though, now it has been mentioned, the liner system looks scale-wise similar to one I have and this one looks especially well designed so that it can be lifted clear with little chance of ink hitting fingers, unlike the one I have....

Robert

Let's not give them any ideas 

Thanks Ivo for helping with the date. I was a bit later in learning to write, late sixties, and while I had to use a fountain pen at first, we used cartridges, liquid ink was no longer in use at my school. I think it's safe to conclude in that case that early to mid sixties would have been the latest it could have been made.

Okay, so I remember starting the process in grade three, (that would have been 1967) but we were only allowed pencils at that point. I don't think we started using pens 'til a couple of years later (so about '69). And they certainly were not fountain pens. Definitely ball points! That's in Canada in case that makes a difference. I do have a couple of lovely inkstands, but they are way older than I am.  :chky:

Carolyn