Inkwells; France, c. 1900.

Inkwells; France, c. 1900.
Glass and brass.
Measurements. 13 x 13 x 6 cm.
French inkwells, dated around 1900, which represent an example of the decorative art of transition between the historicism of the nineteenth century and the incipient taste for geometric elegance that anticipates the Art Deco.
They are made of cut glass with a prismatic base of cubic structure, which provides an effect of light transparency that accentuates their decorative character. Each lid is topped with a female bust in frosted glass, possibly allegorical representations or figures inspired by classical antiquity, richly detailed with necklaces and headdresses. The busts act as both sculptural and functional elements, functioning as lids that protect the ink.