Inkwells

[jbb]

I have, and use, quite a few inkwells. You?

[piscov]

This one is gorgeous! !!

[jor412]

Completely ignorant about these things. What is the thing that looks like a pepper shaker for?

[jbb]

Completely ignorant about these things. What is the thing that looks like a pepper shaker for?

That's a pounce pot. Back in the day, fine sand or ground cuttlefish bone (?) was sprinkled on your paper to absorb wet ink. I've tried using fine white sand and it (sort of) works but makes quite a mess. You dust off the excess back into your pounce pot.

[jbb]

BTW, that eighteenth century looking inkwell is probably an early 20th century revival piece meant to look old.

I belive pounce pots traditionally have a concave lid to make putting sand back easier. This one doesn't.

[jor412]

Oh I see. So this is what Joseph Fiennes was doing in "Shakespeare in Love". :P It looked like talcum powder to me when he was pouring it on his manuscript. I imagine talc would cake though.

[jbb]

Oh I see. So this is what Joseph Fiennes was doing in "Shakespeare in Love". :P It looked like talcum powder to me when he was pouring it on his manuscript. I imagine talc would cake though.

LOL. I was going to mention that too.... that pouncing letters shows up a lot in movies. I agree, I don't think talc would work.

[jor412]

If I remember correctly, he kept his quill in a tomato when he wasn't using it. The whole things was fascinating -- sharpening, dipping, powdering. And the script seemed to be some kind of beautiful italic.

[jbb]

If I remember correctly, he kept his quill in a tomato when he wasn't using it. The whole things was fascinating -- sharpening, dipping, powdering. And the script seemed to be some kind of beautiful italic.

Mostly I remember a fabulous pearl necklace that Gwyneth Paltrow wore in one of the scenes. I guess I'm due to rewatch the movie. Any idea what purpose the tomato served?

[jor412]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

[Flake]

My ink wells feel deep shame now. Those are gorgeous.

Didn't know about the pounce pot though. That's an interesting thought. I wonder how well it worked then, I expect probably equally as messy.

[writingrav]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

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[Tracy Lee]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

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That is seriously ornate!!!

[thagbert]

Sort of related. I remember pounce from my days as a technical ink pen drafter. Drawing engineering drawings. Forget AutoCAD.

Pounce powder, but used somewhat differently.

http://www.dataprint.com/store/p-144...-3oz-1243.aspx

[writingrav]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

That is seriously ornate!!!

Indeed!

[jbb]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

That's beautiful writingrav.

[woosang]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

To maybe stop it rusting? Old nibs rust as soon as you take the coating off and dip in ink

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[jor412]

That sounds more logical than my answer.

[jbb]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

To maybe stop it rusting? Old nibs rust as soon as you take the coating off and dip in ink

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

Shakespeare was pre-steel nibs.... his were feather quills.

[jor412]

Oh yeah that's right. The question was driving me a bit nuts just now so I googled it. Someone posited that the tomato was artistic license -- Tom Stoppard apparently has a thing for tomatoes.