This small cylindrical American pen cleaner is made of sterling silver. The round top is filled with compact bristles of a bush, and appears to be the part that cleans ink from pens. The container has a narrow plain lip around the top of the ornamented, slightly indented sides. A circle of relatively large, five-petaled flowers are engraved on the top half of the lateral sides with three long leaves and a swirling pattern of interlocking c-shaped lines between each flower. The lower half of the container is plain. This object is in poor condition having several large patches of tarnish or other damage that have dulled and darken these areas. On the bottom of the container there are four engravings, "A," "sterling," "137." and a small animal that looks like a dragon.
American
Pen Cleaner,
Silver
,
3.2 x 2.9 cm (1 1/4 x 1 1/8 in.)
Object details
Accession number
M18n38
Primary Creator
American
Full title
Pen Cleaner
Creation Date
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
Marks
Stamped (on bottom top): STERLING
Stamped (on bottom right): [unidentified maker's mark]
Stamped (on bottom): 137
Stamped (on bottom left): A
Dimensions
3.2 x 2.9 cm (1 1/4 x 1 1/8 in.)
Display Media
Silver
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Little Salon
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.