Topic: cyan coloured inkwell for show.

[Paul S.]

until the other day I didn't know the word existed  -  to me things are either blue, green, turquoise, teal etc. etc.    Apparently cyan comes somewhere between blue and green - has various tints and is often likened to a paler form of teal.           
Presumably an inkwell of sorts  -  whether is once formed part of a portable or static garniture of writing kit I've no idea  -  the top is a base metal that's degraded somewhat (unmarked) - polished surfaces and all the arises beveled, and with one or two flea bites on edges.        Perhaps the colour was to remind you to refill with blue ink rather than black or red.     It has a side of c. 1.5 inches (about 40 mm) and about 2 inches tall.       Un-attributable, in the extreme, I'm sure, so no need to go there, but wondered if people might like to take a stab at age - and of course the colour is v. much worth looking at.             

[glassobsessed]

Sometimes see small clockwork clocks sitting in a block as well, spotted one in blue recently but it may have been a bit darker than this. Suspect those clocks are from the 1930s but guess they could be ten or twenty years younger too.

John

[Paul S.]

I've no idea really John - except to say if pushed I'd also likely go for c. 1930 - 1950.          As an inkwell this caught my attention as I collect old fountain pens, otherwise I'd have probably passed it by  -  not that I write with the things  -  just collect polish and admire them               Quite what the origin of the word is I've not idea - foreign perhaps  -  one of these words that on face value conveys nothing to me.

[mhgcgolfclub]

When I saw your inkwell I thought I had one like it until I found it and its quite different.
Unless I can find it a good home its off to the charity shop.

Roy

[NevB]

In ye olden days when computer printers used multiple colour ink cartridges, "cyan" was used for the blue one. From the Greek "kyanos", dark blue.

[Paul S.]

thanks for that   -  I expect this one will also go back to the charity shop after I've peered at it for a while.

[Anne]

In ye olden days when computer printers used multiple colour ink cartridges, "cyan" was used for the blue one. From the Greek "kyanos", dark blue.

Olden days indeed... they still do Nev!    And our colour laser printer needs four colours of toner - black, cyan, magenta and yellow. These are the basis of all CMY printing, which is what commercial colour printing uses. (In a previous life I was a letterpress printer and still do design work on brochures etc which are commercially printed.)