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Three ceramic inkwells, circa 1880
About the object
About the object
These three inkwells are made to hold liquid writing ink. The round shape of the inkwell fits into the round hole in the top of a wooden school desk.
The wide lip at the top of the inkwell secured it in the desk. The narrow hole just fitted a dip pen and reduced the chance of spillage.
These inkwells are ceramic – handmade from fine clay with a clear gloss glaze. The inkwells are a standard size made to fit the standard sized holes in school desks.
Ceramic inkwells were used in NSW schools through the 1800s to the 1940s when they were replaced with Bakelite inkwells.
From 2nd Class, students wrote and drew with pen and ink in their exercise books.
Significance
Significance
Ceramic inkwells, together with desks with inkwell holes, student work, syllabuses and teaching resources of the period, provide evidence of:
early writing technologies used in schools
pen and ink as the main writing technology of the period
materials used in the production of school equipment.
Object details
Object details
Date – circa 1880s
Creator – unknown
Place – Australia
Materials – ceramic
Dimensions – lip 4cm diameter, base 2.3cm diameter, height 3.5cm, hole 1cm
Look closer
Look closer
Ceramic ink well in the hole of a timber double desk. The objects on the desk from left to right are a felt pen wiper, piece of used blotting paper, inkwell, ink pen and a student's exercise book.
A student dipping her ink pen into a ceramic inkwell.The metal nib at the tip of the pen collects a small amount of ink. This flows off the pointed tip when writing.
Think and wonder
Think and wonder
See
See
What do you notice about the inkwells that you didn’t expect?
What would they feel like to touch?
What would it sound like to dip a metal pen in a ceramic inkwell?
Think
Think
How do you think inkwells were filled at school?
Whose job might it have been to fill the inkwells each week?
If they were made today, what would inkwells be made from?
What might naughty children put into inkwells?
Wonder
Wonder
What do you wonder about inkwells and ink pens?
What questions do they raise?
Do
Do
In the 1880s everyday objects and furniture were carefully designed and produced for their specific use. Evaluate the design features of a ceramic inkwell.
Identify the success criteria of an inkwell.
Do a line drawing of a ceramic inkwell.
Label the design features that make it suitable for its use.
State how each design feature meets the success criteria.
Explore and connect
Explore and connect
Writing ObjectsYouTube | NSW Schoolhouse Museum of Public Education (1:31min) | Video transcript | Alternate video link
Writing objects video
Writing objects video
View the YouTube video to learn about some objects used for writing at school in the past.
How are these writing objects of the past similar and different to what you use for writing today?
What do you wonder about these objects?
A variety of tall ink bottles and small ink pots, made from clay, circa 1880
Clay ink pots and bottles
Clay ink pots and bottles
Ink was purchased pre-mixed in bottles or as a powder to mix with water. Ink was easily sourced and economical to use.
The two tall bottles in the photograph held pre-mixed ink. Note the pouring spout on the lip of the brown bottle.
The small cylindrical bottles are clay ink pots. These hand-made salt-glazed ink pots could sit on top of the desk. They are solid and sturdy so don't tip over. They have a narrow hole that just fits an ink pen.
Corks could be used to plug the hole of ink pots and inkwells between use.
Find out more about ink and ink pens on the Simpson's Ink Powder page.
Ceramic ink well in the hole of an 1881 timber long tom desk.
Long tom desk, 1881
Long tom desk, 1881
This ceramic inkwell is in a hole in a long tom desk. Long tom desks are long wooden desks with metal legs. The legs are screwed into the floor.
Students sat at the desk on a long timber bench seat, called a 'form'.
Long toms have five holes for inkwells and a groove along the top for pens and pencils. The writing surface slopes down.
This close-up of the top of a long tom shows the manufacturing stamp. The PS stands for Public School. The crown represents the government. VR stands for Victoria Regina, the Queen of the time. 1881 is the date of manufacture.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands of people using this site. Is, always was, always will be – Aboriginal land.
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