Historical information
Gold and Redgum Inkstand made by Ernest Leviny, c1855-1858. Presented to Mr J.V.A. Bruce, contractor for the Melbourne and Murray Railway by the workmen, at Woodend on Monday 8th July 1861.
This gold inkstand was Leviny's first major masterpiece commenced around 1855 and made from gold found on the Victorian fields.
It featured four gold nuggets representing the Southern Cross from the goldfields of Ballarat, Bendigo Maryborough and Castlemaine. It was exhibited in Melbourne in 1858, and again in 1861 where it was awarded a 1st Class Certificate at the Victorian Exhibition in Melbourne. In 1862 it was exhibited at the London International Exhibition where it attracted a great deal of attention and was published in The Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue accompanying the exhibition. The whereabouts of the Inkstand is currently unknown.
Physical description
Matt, albumen print, mounted on lightweight card backing.
Albumen photograph of a gold and redgum inkstand. Elaborate inkstand highly decorated with cast figures. Mounted on a redgum base.
Inscriptions & markings
Stamp embossed on upper left corner. Crown in a circle with the words Bristol Paper.
Handwritten in ink under image. "Gold inkstand presented at the opening of the Railway, designed by the late Ernest Leviny Esq. October 13th 1862. Made of almost pure gold and cost £700".
Subjects
References
- Ernest Leviny (1818-1905): Colonial Silversmith & Jeweller This is the story of Ernest Leviny, Hungarian silversmith and jeweller, who lived and worked in Budapest, Paris and London before coming to the goldfields of Victoria in 1853 and settling in Castlemaine. Leviny left his mark as a colonial silversmith of note, creating two masterpieces: the Gold Inkstand on a Redgum base and the Silver Standing Cup (now in the National Gallery of Victoria Collection , Melbourne). From 1863 Leviny developed his Villa home, Buda, set in 3 acres (1.2 hectares) of garden where he and his wife, Bertha Hudson, raised a family of ten children.
