Catch of the Day
3. I think I’d use my fountain pen more often if I could refill it from an inkwell like this.
My oldest friend bought me a lobster inkwell as a gi ! one Christmas about 10 years ago. She found it in the fantastic El Rastro "ea market in Madrid, where she lives now, for a few Euros. I love my lobster and it always reminds me of my friend and her eclectic taste. Sadly, mine is not very shiny. I would love to know where it might be from, how it ended up in Spain, and also how to clean it.
Your brass lobster is quite a catch. Made in Britain in the late 19th century, he’s a beautifully cast novelty item, possibly inspired by Japanese bronzes of a similar date. You don’t mention a registration number, but you may ! nd ‘136502’ marked inside the "ap where the inkwells sit, or underneath the body, or in both places. Originally the inkwells would have had glass liners, but these have o#en been lost. Luxury novelty items such as this were made for export (Birmingham was a main centre) as well as for the home market, although it’s impossible to know how he made his way to Spain. He was certainly a bargain: he’d be worth £300-£500 at auction. If you want to clean him up a bit you can use a li%le brass polish and a so# cloth, but don’t overdo it or you’ll spoil his lovely old shell.