Object Description
This large and historically interesting inkwell, or standish, is carved from timber recovered from the wreck of H.M.S. Lutine. It has a central inkwell, with a bud and oakleaf cover, supported by three dolphins within a circular dish within a ribbon tied wreath. The inkwell is carved with two escutcheons bearing the arms of Lloyds of London and the dish with ‘1799 La Lutine’. English, circa 1860.
Height: 8 ¾ in (22cm) Diameter: 13in (33cm)
The Lutine, a prize taken in 1793, was a 5th rate battleship of 32-guns. She was wrecked on a bank near Vlieland, Holland in 1799 with a vast fortune in gold on board. Much of this was subsequently recovered in 1860, along with artefacts including her famous bell, which now hangs at Lloyds of London, and is still rung every time a ship insured by them is lost.