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For your consideration is a stunning, highly collectible 19th-century French mechanical pump-action desk inkwell (encrier à pompe) designed and patented by the renowned Parisian innovator Louis-Honoré Boquet. This mechanical model was considered cutting-edge for its time, successfully winning a prestigious award at the Paris Exhibition. Famous historical figures, including American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, famously favored and utilized this exact Boquet system on their study desks! Mechanism & Engravings
The top brass turning knob serves as both a lid and a control pump. The text deeply stamped onto the knob reads:
* Center: \"MEDAILLE D\'ARGENT 1839\" (Commemorating the Silver Medal won at the industrial exhibition).
* Outer Ring: \"ENCRIER POMPE BOQUET BREVETE RUE RICHELIEU\" (Attesting to Boquet’s patented pump inkwell workshop located on Rue de Richelieu in Paris).
* Internal Plunger Assembly: Stamped with matching assembly numbers (\"XXV\") on both the inner threading and the mechanical barrel assembly. How It Works:
Unlike standard static reservoirs, turning the top knob lowers an internal porcelain cylinder block into the main body. As it descends, the displacement pressure pushes a controlled amount of fresh ink up through a small channel into the small exterior white dipping cup. Turning it backward lifts the cylinder, allowing the ink to safely return to the lower reservoir, preventing evaporation and messy spills. Specifications:
* Era: Louis-Philippe / Early Victorian Period (Circa 1840s)
* Origin: Paris, France
* Primary Materials: Hard-paste Porcelain, Cast Bronze/Brass
* Main Colors: Cobalt Blue, Bright Gold Gilt, Antique Patinated Bronze, White Condition Report:
* Porcelain: Excellent structural condition. No chips, cracks, or repairs to the primary cobalt blue body or the white front font cup.
* Gilding: Exceptional preservation of the gold gilt patterning with only minor, age-appropriate surface thinning on handled edges.
* Metalwork: Gorgeous, unpolished natural aged patina across the bronze base. The internal threadings screw smoothly, and the mechanics retain their structural integrity.
* (Note: Please review all listing photos closely as they form the primary description of condition details.)Dimensions (Approximate):
Stands roughly 5\" to 5.25\" (13 cm) tall from the base to the top of the pump cap; the ornate shell base measures approximately 5.5\" (14 cm) wide. Exact precise measurements can be provided upon buyer request
