Sentence:  He turns to the inkstone and picks up by the handles the two <WSD>inkballs</WSD>, rolling the leather facings together to freshen the ink. ... As the pressman returns the inkballs to the inkstone, the journeyman closes the frisket and tympan. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A leather-covered dauber, stuffed with soft, resilient wadding, with a wooden handle, used to ink type forms for printing. A predecessor of brayers and self-inking presses.