19th century treen sander in excellent condition. Height 3 inches.

French treen inkwell with part of the original label. Circa 1900. Very good condition. Height 4.75 inches.

Original S. Silliman Co. barrel-form traveling ink well circa 1860. Measuring 2.25 inches high by 1.5 inches wide. Excellent condition including original blown glass stopper. In the 1800s, the S. Silliman Company in Chester, CT, made itself known nationwide for its wooden inkstands and inkwells. Indeed, it is said that Abraham Lincoln had a Silliman inkwell in his Springfield, IL, law office, and in 1837 a Silliman inkwell was gifted to President Martin Van Buren.

Antique 19th century burl wood case for feather quill pen nibs. Length 6 inches. Contains 5 quills.

18th to early 19th century pounce pot, or sander, in ebony and bone, excellent original condition. No cracks or repairs. Measures 3 inches high by 2.75 inches wide. Pounce pots are small containers with perforations at the top that were used to store pounce, a fine powder made from crushed bones, pumice, gum sandarac resin, sandstone, or talc. Pounce was sprinkled on parchment or ink to help it dry and to prepare paper for writing. Pounce pots are also known as sanders. The pounce was gently sprinkled all over the writing on the paper. When using a quill or a steel nib, and with inks that are made up to match those typically in use during the 18th and 19th centuries, and provided the pen has been used with the fine strokes typical of handwriting of that period, the handwriting will be sufficiently dry within 10 seconds to allow the paper to be folded without blotting. Gently vibrating the paper while the pounce or sand is on it ensures that little or no pounce or sand sticks to the handwriting and excess sand or pounce is shaken off before folding the paper.