Thomas Weeks Museum Presse Papier

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 presse papier is surmounted by two dogs, one finished in a dark bronze patina and the other gilded in order to further contrast their differences, one being small with a curly coat whilst the other a long dog; the sleek coursing hound familiar from the inkstands that Thomas Weeks made and sold through his ‚Äúmuseum”. That 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. This rare object would make a good companion to that inkstand on a gentleman’s desk.

English made circa 1810.

w:5 inches x d:3 inches x h:3 1/4 inches