"Barbedienne Dragon Turtle Inkwell"
Inkwell in gilded and patinated bronze, decorated with dragon turtles supporting a sphere containing the glass cup. The lid is surmounted by two turtles, the bronze base surrounded by ling zhi mushroom motifs. Edouard Lièvre model, signed F. Barbedienne. In Chinese mythology the tortoise is associated with the hare, it is also the one who carries the world. In addition, turtle shells are part of the first writing media in China, around 3,500 years ago. 
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato