Solid Silver Inkwell Depicting Psyche, 19th Century

A true sculpture even before being a utilitarian object, this solid silver inkwell tells a whole story. Something to inspire the writer who uses it!
Several clues make it possible to identify this scene: the fretels in the shape of butterflies immediately bring to mind Psyche. And for good reason, it is a very special moment in her myth that is represented here.

A little reminder for those who missed this charming adventure:

Psyche is a mortal yet divinely beautiful princess. Neither of her two sisters cannot hold a candle to her. Even Aphrodite is starting to fear the competition of such a superb creature who, nonetheless, cannot find a husband. The crowds admire her as a work of art, to the point of forgetting the goddess! So, the jealous Aphrodite sends her faithful Eros, god of love, to Psyche with the mission of making her fall in love with the most despicable character he will find among mortals.
Naturally, nothing goes as planned and Eros falls madly in love with Psyche. Every night he visits his beloved, making her promise never to seek to discover his identity. The influence of her sisters of Psyche will nevertheless put an end to the idyll: the young girl eaten away by curiosity takes advantage of the sleep of her anonymous lover to light a lamp and discover his identity. Eros, betrayed, leaves Psyche collapsing with grief. To win back her divine lover, she must perform all sorts of tasks worthy of those of the most famous heroes. Among these missions dictated by Aphrodite, she must recover the wool of the terrible sheep with the golden fleece. Desperate by the difficulty of the task, she prefers to give up and decides to throw herself into a river. But a reed, moved by the young woman's misfortune, tells her how to fulfill her mission. It is precisely this scene that is represented here!

After two more tasks, the lovers will be reunited again and then married in a grand ceremony on Olympus.

The choice of this part of the myth of Psyche offers a very aesthetic staging of the pen rest space whose waves simulated by the silver make it possible to "clean" the nib in an almost mythical wave.

Finally, who better than Psyche can inspire the writer? From the Greek philosophers to contemporary psychoanalysis, she embodies the soul that animates Man, both by the imagination of the writer and by the inspired impulse of the poet.

The hallmarks, all Minerve, are visible on the base and the moving parts. Applied to silver objects since 1838, the Minerva hallmarks guarantee the title, i.e. the quantity of pure metal in the alloy. Our inkwell bears the hallmarks of the 1st title. The set - which also includes the sander and the glass tank - is in perfect condition.

Worldwide delivery.

Privileging the purchase of antiques is favorable and sustainable development! Discover all our furniture, objects and lighting on our website: www.pipat-antiquites.fr

This solid silver inkwell can be seen in our store in Bordeaux, at 64 rue Notre-Dame in the Chartrons district.

Dimensions:

Height: 20cm
Width: 36cm
Depth: 26cm

Price: 3900€

Your purchases are carefully packaged by us to guarantee their integrity up to your delivery address. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

Delivery price in metropolitan France: €35

Delivery price in Europe: €55

Delivery price to other destinations: €75