19th Century French Gilt Bronze Inkwell by Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892)

We are offering... a very beautiful French Bronze inkwell by the master metalworker, and founder  Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892).The inkwell is classical revival with a figural finial of a bearded Greek man's head supported by three griffin feet with floral and other designs on the rest of the body of the inkwell.  One looped handle serves as a stop for the lid of the inkwell, and a handle.  The inside of the inkwell and lid are both gilt, and are in very good condition. We do not have its glass ink cup.  It is engraved "F. BARBEDIENNE Paris" on the underside rim of the tray. Ferdinand Barbedienne (6 August 1810 – 21 March 1892) was a French metalworker  and manufacturer, who was well known as a bronze founder. The son of a small farmer  from Calvados, he started his career as a dealer in wallpaper in Paris.  In 1838 he went into partnership with Achille Collas (1795-1859), who had just invented a  machine to create miniature bronze replicas of statues. Together they started a b