BY THOMAS MESSENGER & SONS

The bronze desk garniture ink-stand, fitted with a ring taperstick-holder, is conceived in the early l9th century Roman manner and guarded by a hound, emblematic of Faithfulness. It comprises a bacchic reed-wrapped tazza with leopard monopodiae and ram-headed handles, while its 'Roman wolfhound' guardian was modelled in 1850 on a Russian Borzoi. It was manufactured by the celebrated Birmingham manufacturers of bronzes, ormolu etc., Messrs Messenger & Sons, exhibitors at the 1851 London International Exhibition of a Britannia inkstand. The author of the Art-Journal's Illustrated Exhibition Catalogue noted 'We have on former occasions, made ourselves acquainted with the manufactured works of Messrs Messenger & Sons of Birmingham, who are contributors to the great Exhibition of an extensive variety of useful and ornamental productions in iron, bronze etc. distinguished by elegance and correctness of design, and excellent workmanship' (The Art-Journal, 1851, p. 184).
A pair of ink-stands of this model with identical stamp, sold in these rooms, 30th May 1996, lot 130 (£2,800 exc. premium).