The Early Victorian Silver Rococo Revival Inkstand of General Charles Nepean

The early Victorian silver Rococo Revival inkstand of General Charles Nepean, of rectangular form, with two silver mounted, cut glass inkwells, flanking a central wax holder, surmounted by a taper stick holder with shell and flower details, raised on four ornate outswept scrolled bracket feet, incised with an armorial and hallmarked in for Robinson, Edkins & Aston, Birmingham 1837 and retailed by S. Smith & Son, 35 King Street, Covent Garden, London. Footnote: The armorial indicates that this inkstand was in the possession of General Charles Wedikind Nepean (1794 – 1853) of the 7th Madras Native Infantry. He was the eldest son of Lieutenant General Nicholas Nepean and Johanna Francesca Caroline Wedikind. A heraldry report accompanies this item. The Arms of Nepean. Quarterly 1st and 4th Gules a fess wavy or between three mullets argent1 (for Nepean) 2nd and 3rd Azure a six- pointed mullet being environed by a crescent moon (with a human visage) its horns to the dexter argent (for Wedikind) (Dexter) A goat trippant or (for Nepean) (Sinister) A six-pointed mullet argent between two buffalo horns erect azure (for Wedikind) Prest pour mon pais [Ready for my country] (for Nepean) The arms and crest of Nepean differ slightly from the arms of Nepean, Baronets of Bothenhampton in the County of Dorset within the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. This baronetcy was created in the person of Evan Nepean on the 16th July 1802 He served as the Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1804 to 1805 and as the Governor of Bombay from 1812 to 1819. Sir Evan was the uncle to General Charles Nepean, being Charles’s father’s elder brother.