ANTIQUE CIRCA 1850-1890 (Over 130 Years Old!) DOULTON LAMBETH MASTER INK WELLS

A PAIR OF ANTIQUE (CIRCA 1850-1890) SALT GLAZED STONEWARE MASTER INK BOTTLES BY DOULTON LAMBETH ENGLAND.
 
These larger stoneware master inks bottles feature a pouring lip and were used to top up desk inkwells in schools and offices.
 
Up until the late 1700s, ink was only available in block or powder form. It was purchased from the apothecary and had to be mixed with water for use. It is only from around the 1840s that chemists were making and selling ink in both liquid and powder form.
 
Stoneware originated in China around the time of the Shang Dynasty (c.1400 BC). Basically, it is pottery that has been fired to such a high temperature (around 1,200 degrees centigrade) that the clay vitrifies ie. becomes glasslike and waterproof. Stoneware has been made in Britain since the 17th Century. Stoneware bottles were fairly widely used by the 1820s for beverages like cider and ginger beer and for ink bottles.
 
MARKINGS:
DOULTON LAMBETH: THE SIDES IS IMPRESSED MARKED WITH AN EARLY (1850-1890) DOULTON LAMBETH MARK. Between 1827 and 1882 a number of simple stamps were impressed into Royal Doulton works of art. These markings would read: Doulton & Watts, Doulton & Watts Lambeth Pottery London, DOULTON LAMBETH and Doulton Lambeth England. Towards the end of this period the words were BORDERED BY AN OVAL SHAPE WHICH SLOWLY TURNED INTO THE ROUNDED SHAPE IN THE BACKSTAMPS TO FOLLOW.
IN 1891 THE WORD ENGLAND WAS ADDED TO THE MARK. THE WORD BONE CHINA WAS ADDED IN 1928 AND AFTER AROUND 1932 ENGLAND WAS CHANGED TO MADE IN ENGLAND.
In 1901 to 1922 the recognisable Doulton logo was introduced on all Burslem and Lambeth decorative wares. This logo consisted of the lion, crown and roundel with the four interlocking Ds.
The new mark and use of the name Royal Doulton as opposed to Doulton celebrate the grant of the Royal Warrant to Doulton by King Edward VII in 1901.
 
SIZE: 22CM HIGH
 
CONDITION: A CHIP TO THE LIP OF ONE BOTTLE. STILL IN GOOD ANTIQUE CONDITION.
 
ROYAL DOULTON:
Royal Doulton is one of the great British commercial ceramics makers of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.  It was founded in 1815 in London, with factories in Vauxhall and Lambeth.  In 1882, the company moved from London to Staffordshire, specifically to the town of Burslem, one of the six towns that make-up Stoke-on-Trent (a powerhouse of 19th Century British ceramics production).  Here, with space to grow, Royal Doulton expanded production significantly.
Production continued at the Lambeth factory until 1956, after which Doulton concentrated on their activities at Burslem.
It has a 'family' of English brands, having merged with Minton in 1968, and gaining Royal Albert from the merger with AEP in 1971. And, in 2005, these historic names became part of the Waterford Wedgwood group.
It is now part of WWRD Holdings Ltd. the name being an acronym for the main components of the business: Waterford Chrystal, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton.
 
MASTER INK BOTTLES:
Antique stoneware master ink bottles, used to refill inkwells in schools and offices, were produced in bulk from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century and are now sought after by collectors. 
Master ink bottles, also known as "pourer" or "bulk" inks, were designed to hold larger quantities of ink for refilling smaller inkwells used on desks and in writing slopes. They were commonly found in schools, offices, and other institutions where writing was a daily activity. 
These bottles were particularly popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. 
The bottles were typically made from salt-glazed stoneware, a durable and practical material. They often featured a pouring lip or spout for easy ink transfer.
Antique stoneware master ink bottles are now highly collectible, appreciated for their historical significance and aesthetic appeal. Different shapes, sizes, and colors add to the appeal for collectors. 
 
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