The attribution to Roccatagliata is based primarily on comparisons with two winged putti in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (op. cit., figs. 669 and 670). These figures are very closely related to the present bronze in numerous details including the treatment of the hair, the facial type, and the proportions of the body.
Although clearly conceived as a functional object incorporating both a well and a quill holder, the bronze is also a work of art intended to be appreciated in the round; the twisted pose of Cupid and the tripartite base ensure a variety of complex perspectives for the viewer.
A similar inkwell was sold at Sotheby's, 7 December 1989, lot 91.