The Castlereagh Inkstand
Gold, 22 carat
London, 1818-19 and 1819-20
Marks of Paul Storr and Philip Rundell

The stand is inscribed ‘This inkstand is composed of the gold taken from the portrait snuffboxes which were presented by the Sovereigns whose arms are engraven hereon to Viscount Castlereagh upon the signature of the several treaties concluded in the Years 1813, 1814, and 1815’. This major work of goldsmithing, commissioned by the British foreign secretary, Viscount Castlereagh (1769-1822), celebrates the important contribution of his diplomatic efforts to the defeat of Napoleon. At the following negotiations in Paris and Vienna he helped to establish a new political framework for Europe and secured an international declaration against slavery.

Surviving bills show that Castlereagh was involved in the design of the inkstand, although the sculptor, Edward Hodges Baily may well have been responsible for the overall concept. The inkpots relate directly to a surviving design in the V&A for a tureen which has been attributed to Baily. An example of the tureen in silver can be seen in the 19th-century displays in the Whiteley Silver Galleries. Stylistically, the inkstand shows the revival of interest in the Rococo style combined with a continuing use of neo-classical motifs. The asymmetric palm may be an early indication of the popular 19th-century ‘Naturalistic’ style.

Accepted by HM Government in lieu of tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2003, with additional funding provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, The National Art Collections Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation) and the Friends of the V&A.