inkstand

Also known as: standish

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Related Topics:: decorative art; writing implement

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inkstand, receptacle for a pen, ink, and other writing accessories. In England such a utensil was called a standish from the 15th to the 18th century. Inkstands were made of silver, pewter, lead, earthenware, or porcelain. Silver was the most fashionable material used throughout the 18th century. Later inkstands contain a wide variety of accessories, such as a taper stick (a candlestick to hold small tapers), pounce box (for sprinkling pounce, a powdered gum that fixed ink to paper), wafer-box (to hold wafers used to seal letters), a penknife, and quills. The use of inkstands gradually disappeared after fountain pens were perfected early in the 20th century.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.