Beautiful, looks a desk accessory of some sort, looks peach shape.

Jeremy ai think this is gorgeous. The gilt look alchemy and correct for the stated period great find.

@jbeer2121,

I think it's a absolutely stunning example.

Not my area but i think your correct.

I have been scratching my head trying to figure out why the side containers lids are pierced. The only thing i can think of is that they probably would have had stained glass inserts fitted into these lids. I have seen similar with similar sides but not lids. I believe its for ink my friend.

The central design is I believe  for a candle. 

Really fantastic buy.

Mark 

What an exquisite set! My first thought was a dressing table set, or a ladies boudoir writing stand.  Like Mark I think that central part has space for a candle. But unless Mark is correct, why the open lattice work lids unless they are meant to hold something that won't leak, evaporate or react in light?

It has quite an art nouveau look, could the mounts be later additions or replacement? Maybe they were originally open salts on a stand for something like a buffet that backed against a wall.

However, that still doesn't explain why only one has the inner container, if those were later additions they would surely both have them especially as that round opening is there. 

Is that ink stains on the lid or wear?

What a great piece! Perhaps it stood on a ladies poudreuse. There could have been small powder boxes inside it. The boxes were removed and replaced when empty.

@imperialfinegems Maybe one was for sand, didn't they sometimes sprinkle sand on newly inked paper to help dry it? I do suppose it represents nautilous shells in this case, but I find it interesting that it is in a traditional peach shape, which with the curve on one end has always looked odd for a peach to me. I almost bought a small ceramic bowl shaped like it in peach colors last week, except it looked like the bottom part of a box missing its lid. I'll stop by the shop tomorrow and get it if they still have it to illustrate the shape, the one in the shop is not marked and probably not very old, but the colors are nice.

I'm a little flummoxed as well on this lovely ensemble. I love the way the cabriole feet harken back to archaic bronzes. 

The fittings look appropriate for late 18th/early 19th c. Neoclassical tastes but they made a lot of that also in the early 20th century as well.

@steve @sharonp @shinigami @julia @imperialfinegems @lotusblack

Hi Everyone,

For some odd reason I am seeing no notifications from this on my email, don't know what I have done wrong now...

Thank you so much for all the positive feedback and the huge quantity of ideas.  I am fairly certain it is an inkwell, and one side (as Sharon has suggested) held a sand caster, and the other ( as Mark suggested) held the ink and possibly had a glass cover inside or held its own bottle of ink that could be sealed.  As for the middle, I suppose it could be another piece was mounted or as Birgit suggest a candle holder.  It seems these are sold as encrier's or inkstands, so I won't really move to far away from it.  I just wanted to kinda confirm what it is before listing it, even though I definitely would rather keep it, I have to keep reminding myself of this crazy annoying thing called business...haha. 🙄 

I think that its funny too that I thought these were peaches, but because of the swirl on the back, despite the peach shape, I think they are conch shells, or something like that.  The peaches seem to have leaves and the same basic form but no swirl or linear carvings on the front.

Its a shame it is missing the second insert, probably a sand caster, which was easily replaced in the 18th century, now not so common.  My understanding is newly made paper was too glossy and for fear of the ink running the sand allowed it to soak in... or something along those lines, as Sharon mentioned.

The example I found that has a similar stand is interesting in that the bronzes are period and very very similar construction, so perhaps mine are as well mid-18th.  Also my feet were drilled so perhaps they had at one point gilded bronze caps like that one.  the others Ifound in here are just other types, plus an great PDF from the Getty, well worth checking out.

Sorry for my delayed response... and again thanks so much!

Jeremy

Very similar form:

https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/b-b-s-un-hommage-pf1631/lot.140.html

similar form of shell, and a wonderful monkey:

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5981921

different form but appears to have pierced lids:

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5993206

and one that is totally unrelated, but I have to have one!

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5981955

and an awesome link to a book on mounted wares:

https://www.getty.edu/publications/resources/virtuallibrary/0892365625.pdf

The cat looks great!

@jbeer2121 For some reason the page is not letting me like your last post, be assured I do like it, good research. I bought my little peach bowl this morning, it has three feet but someone has super glued it to a small dish with insects painted around the rim. I did pour some nail polish remover into the dish to see if the peach bowl will come away, tried soaking in water to no avail. May have to let it soak in the acetone a few days. If I succeed then I will post separately in a few days, it had been marked down this morning! The little dish is cute with the insects, but they do not look like they should be together. The page did let me like Birgit's comment about the cat, which I found very pretty too.

@sharonp 

Hey Sharon,

No worries.... the like button and I don't seem to get along most of the time, I find that thumb infuriating.  I feel like I have accidentally down voted things too before without knowing.

Just a quick word of advice on glue is paint stripper, like citristrip which is fairly safe to be around.  I also like to try heat, most glues fail at ~370 degrees but even some of the strongest epoxies on the market ~500 degrees, so about ten min at 150, then 10 at 200 and so on until it comes apart in the oven has worked wonders for me in the past.  just a warning is some disclor and then need to be manually removed with a scalpel or dental pick afterwards.

Jeremy

@jbeer2121 I may just leave it attached, maybe someone used it for jam and liked to place a small spoon on the dish, it's still soaking in the acetone, the bugs appear handpainted, seems an odd choice for a jam bowl in the classic pear shape, the underside of the dish is in a basket weave ceramic pattern, weird.

I meant peach shape.