Posted 13 years ago
marabelle
(6 items)
I found this nice eight-sided ink bottle in a thrift store, and subsequently found a great website on typing and dating bottles, but there was only one brief reference to the ink bottles stamped with "JAPAN" on the bottoms. It has a seam that is barely noticeable that runs up a ridge all the way to the neck and lip on both sides. It also has a number "1" on the bottom. There are many many bubbles, and no other machine marks. The glass has a lot of interesting striations and variations in the glass body.
I was only able to make a wild guess of dating it in the 1930s (the bubbles and the seam). Did I get the right decade?
This is called an umbrella inkwell. They first came into use around the 1830-40's. They came in all different colors, such as the one above, as well as emerald, aqua, amber, amethyst and many other colors. The odd colors tend to bring the most money, sometimes as much as 2 to 3,000 or even a little more.
The one that you have was obviously made in Japan in the 1960's or early 70's. Although it is an umbrella ink as well as being cobalt blue it is a reproduction and many thousands were made, not only overseas but in the U.S. as well. It is still a very attractive ink and would like very nice in a window sill.
Your collection of crown caps or badges is really very beautiful. A pity that you could show just a few.
I really liked it.
Yuko
This brought me some memories! I had a collection of three inkwells that my father had as a boy (1950s). Two of them I still have and they sit on my desk: a purple house inkwell and an amber cylindrical one. The third was exactly this cobalt blue umbrella inkwell, but I broke it years ago while moving. It's great to see they are still floating around out there - I will have to do some searching and see if one comes up.