Fantastic antique French hallmarked sterling silver & MASSIVE wheel cut crystal paperweight style inkwell, just under 7 lbs and with "Union Des Yachts Francais" inscription and anchor & crossed flags emblem! The largest we've had in quite some time and, if my memory serves me right, the heaviest! In a rectangular shape with the front of the crystal body having a large groove for resting the writer's pen. Exceptional detail to the crisp wheel cut crystal base & lower body, it virtually shimmers like diamonds. The sterling silver top larger than average also with a huge 3.5" diameter. The lid and collar both bear the French Minerve or Minerva hallmarks, the tiny number "1" within those marks means they're in .950 silver (05% pure so just above the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith marks appear to be for Auguste Leroy & Cie. (Company), Paris circa 1912-1935. Exceptional, don't miss it!
Very good condition. There are likely a few tiny nips to the base crystal but notably one larger ship to the rear right base corner that has been glued. Soaking it, stripping the old glue and replacing with a more clear adhesive is always an idea to make it even less visible. The inner glass ink pot is intact but it has a large rim chip, all shown in the pictures. No dents that I can see to the large, thick sterling top but it has been reattached to the crystal base at some point and some of the glue can be seen on the inside under the silver lip. See images for all measurements.
