George II Sterling Silver Ink Stand, London 1751, Provenance 2000

• Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
• Pounce - Pounce is a finely ground powder made from a mixture of salt, sand, talc, pumice and soapstone. It was used in the era before the invention of blotting paper and was sprinkled over wet ink to speed up the drying process. It was commonly stored in a pounce pot, a container similar to a salt shaker, but with a concave top to allow the unused pounce to be returned to the container. The containers were made wood, silver or ceramic, and were sometimes a component of an inkstand.
• George Ii - George II (1683 - 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 until his death in 1760.
• Gadrooning - A series of lobes usually as a border. In furniture gadrooning is found as carved decoration around the edges of table tops in the Chippendale and Jacobean style furniture. Gadrooning is also found as decoration on the rims of silver and ceramics.
• Lion's Paw - The decorative lion's paw has been used in furniture, silver, and ceramics for centuries. It is a stylized representation of the paw of a lion, often depicted in a highly realistic or stylized form.
  
  In furniture design, lion's paws were popular in the neoclassical and Empire styles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were often used as feet on tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture. The lion's paw was a popular motif for furniture makers because it added a sense of grandeur and regalness to their pieces.
  
  In silverware design, the lion's paw was often used on the feet of tea and coffee pots, as well as on other pieces of silverware such as wine coolers and tureens. The lion's paw was often used in combination with other neoclassical motifs, such as acanthus leaves or grape clusters, to create a sense of grandeur and classical elegance.
  
  In ceramics, lion's paws were commonly used as feet on vases, urns, and other pottery items. The lion's paw was often depicted in relief or as a highly stylized form, and was sometimes used in combination with other decorative elements, such as garlands or swags.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• ink stands - silver items 130
• ink wells / ink stands, material - silver items 303
• ink wells / ink stands, period or age - George III / Georgian 27
• pounce pots - desk accessories 12