Accession ID: |
1970.7 |
Name: |
Ink Well |
Category: |
Item |
Type: |
ArtWork |
Maker: |
William Edwards |
Date: |
c1880 |
Description
This stunning work by silversmith William Edwards displays the Australian flora and fauna symbolism of the era – emus, kangaroos and delicate tree ferns. That an infant colony had this level of appreciation for and confidence in local silversmiths at this stage of its development says a great deal about the Australian spirit of nationalism and the willingness to support the creative endeavours of its native craftsmen.
The whole concept of mounting an emu egg is unique to Australian silver and is comparable with some of the finest overseas work of the same period. Mounted on a wooden plinth, the work has a gilt emu and kangaroo and a central tree fern. The interior is fitted with a curved pen recess and inkwell.
History
Regan Silverware Collection,
Tamworth Regional Gallery.
Significance
Provenance: Donated by Mr and Mrs J.C. Lyttleton Taylor.
Inscriptions: The cover marked inside with a heraldic punch and indecipherable lettering, possibly the Royal warrant awarded to Edwards in 1867.