Thomas Weeks Inkstand

Thomas Weeks (1743-1834) established his museum of mechanical curiosities in Tichborne Street around 1788. Weeks followed the fashion established by James Cox and Henri Maillardet (of Jaquet Droz) for exhibiting highly ornamental automaton clocks as part of London’s great trade attractions. It is recorded that when James Cox disposed of his museum by lottery in 1775 a number of pieces, including an automaton silver swan, now at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, were purchased by Thomas Weeks who subsequently exhibited them in his own museum.

This charming inkstand was a popular item from Week’s inventory of the Regency period, by which time they had established a reputation for carrying a stock of fine objets de vertu and exquisite toys.

Standing on a base of statuary marble with an ormolu edge of stylized leaves is the central character of a faithful sight hound tethered to a finely detailed tree stump. To one side is an urn with a snake handle, to hold a quill when at rest, to the other side a lidded ink well. English, Regency period, circa 1810.

w:6.25 in x d:3.75 in x h:5 in