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		inkwells

		One writing-related article that has not basically changed for three thousand years, is the inkwell. There have only been variations in shape and materials used in their manufacture. The Egyptians used brushes and later reed pens with which to write and, frequently, inkwells of faience, or glazed pottery. These often had two wells, one for black ink and the other for red. Soon after, metals such as bronze were used. Inkwells have been manufactured in many other materials including ivory, bone, horn, wood and glass. The upper row of inkwells in the picture are, from left to right; Egyptian, first century BC Hellenistic, Seventeenth century English in horn, French made from the guns used in the Battle of Waterloo, and two leather covered portable examples. The lower are Victorian inkwells in glass and include those shaped like a birdcage, the globe showing the named continents, a bell and a cottage. The large picture is of a Roman inkwell in bronze, dating from between 50 BC and 50 AD and is accordingly known by the museum as the 'Millennium Inkwell'.
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