Sleigh-shaped inkwell has value and beauty

Q. This inkwell came to the United States from England during World War II. Any information would be appreciated.A. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he had an inkwell close at hand. When the Magna Carta was written, there had to be an inkwell nearby, and when all the great men from Martin Luther to Charles Darwin recorded their thoughts, an inkwell was an essential piece of equipment during the process.In fact, before the invention of writing pens with self-contained ink, all the documents, manuscripts and letters in the history of the Western world were written with an inkwell performing its mundane duty.Interestingly, pens with self-contained ink first appeared in 953 when the caliph of Egypt, tired of ink staining his fingers and clothes, demanded such an instrument. However, this device was not widely available to the rest of the world until the 20th century.Many ink formulas have been developed over time. It is reported that the Chinese invented ink 5,000 years ago, made from pine-smoke soot, lamp oil, gelatin from animal skins and musk. It should be noted that Chinese ink often came in the form of a stick, which had to be reconstituted before each use on an "ink stone," and no inkwell per se was employed.Some Western inkwells were simple - small utilitarian vessels or bottles fashioned from pottery, glass, metal or some natural material such as wood or animal horn. Others were elaborate and can be found in the form of skulls, various animal and human figures, hoofs, horseshoes, boats, dogs, camels, lions, shoes, cactuses, clowns, turtles, crabs, bells and leafs, etc.The inkwell in today's question is shaped like a sleigh with a winged creature - possibly a griffin - at its prow. There are elaborate rosettes near the back and what appear to be sidelights with cabochon-jeweled tops at the sides.We wish we had been provided with more photographs because that would have helped to determine for certain that this is indeed an inkwell and not something designed for use in the dining room to serve condiments. But even though there are a few details in the photographs that give us pause, for today's purposes, we will accept the owner's contention that this is indeed an inkwell.The next question: What metal is this? It appears to be bronze in the photographs, but it could also be badly tarnished silver. The owner needs to examine this piece closely, looking for signatures and symbols that may be found almost anyplace on the object's surface.Sleigh-shaped inkwells do turn up from time to time, but this is among the most elaborate and attractive we have seen. If this mid-19th-century European piece (probably Italian, but it could be Central European) is 8 to 10 inches long, 6 to 8 inches tall and made of bronze, it would have an insurance-replacement value of $1,500 to $2,500.However, if the maker signed it, or if it turns out to be made from silver, the value would rise considerably.bull; Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927 or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.