Grand Tour Serpentine Marble Inkwell, Italian, c.1820

Grand Tour Serpentine Marble Inkwell, Italian, c.1820

A rare and exceptionally detailed mid-19th century Grand Tour inkwell, finely carved from deep green serpentine marble with classical gadrooned sides and a domed lid. The body is unusually mounted with six gilt-bronze portrait medallions in low relief, each depicting idealised figures in the antique manner - a rare feature  

The lid is further embellished with 6 gilt-framed mounts, comprising there carved shell cameos and three hand-painted miniature landscapes under glass, all surrounding a central gilt-bronze pinecone finial - a neoclassical symbol of fertility and immortality.

Lifting the lid reveals 3 wells for ink and pounce with their original gilt-brass liners, two retaining their glass inkwells. The overall design reflects the refined taste of the Grand Tour era, combining classical influence with high craftsmanship.

Likely produced in Florence or Rome for the aristocratic tourist market, this piece would have served as both a practical writing object and a showpiece, a cultivated souvenir of Italy’s classical heritage. A particularly fine and unusual example.