The use of ink dates back thousands of years, but not always in the liquid form we know and use today. That, in fact, is a late-18th century innovation. Prior to that, ink came in the form of a solid ‘cake’ or as powder, which the writer needed to mix with water.
Liquid ink needed, of course, something to store it in and use it from – and ink bottles came into production to serve that purpose. Designs were many and varied, involving different sizes and materials (e.g. metal, wood, glass, stoneware), as well as different shapes. One thing they all had in common was that they needed to be sturdy; spilled ink is no fun!
This specimen is a triangular glass ink bottle in aqua green, with a wide bottom and sloping sides. The words ‘Derby, All British’ are embossed on one side. It dates from Victorian times, and it was found in a field in Eynsham.