110 years before Star Wars, there was Jules Verne, the French science fiction novelist who intrigued the world with his stories of exotic and adventurous travel—in space, under water, and to the center of the Earth. He died in 1905, about the same time this German Jugendstil brass inkwell was crafted. It was made by WMF, the metal manufacturer founded in Gieslingen (in 1853). As with Verne's fanciful stories, WMF was super Avant-Garde in its design vision. The company is still in business today, mostly making streamlined flatware and other housewares for the modern table. Please click on the photo above to learn more about this inkwell.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248