Writing kit
date: label: Date
content: late 18th–early 19th century
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: Writing kit turned from one piece of wood to form a baluster shaft. The base of the shaft unscrews to reveal a small metal inkpot of tapered conical shape. Above a globular section, the central portion of the shaft unscrews at both ends. The upper interior is lined with cork and contains two blades and one writing eraser, all three with screw attachments at the ends. In the center of the cork-lined cavity is an ivory rod of two portions; when the sections are unscrewed, the hollow contains an ivory mounted nib for writing. The end of the ivory mount for the writing nib reverses to turn the ivory rod into a pen. The cap of the shaft is fitted with an ivory perpetual calendar and a gold ring. The upper surface of the cap is pierced with a square peghole. The upper portion of the shaft attaches to the ivory calendar with a screw thread that surrounds a textured ivory knob, possibly a seal.
place: label: Place
content: France
setName: label: See more items in
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
label: See more items in
content: Product Design and Decorative Arts Department
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Clinton Wilder
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 1979-86-36-a/m
objectType: label: Type
content: appliances & tools
label: Type
content: Decorative Arts
label: Type
content: Writing kit
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Wood (ebony?), ivory, gold, steel, metal, cork
label: Dimensions
content: H x diam. (assembled): 14.8 x 3.2 cm (5 13/16 x 1 1/4 in.)