This inkhorn was used to store ink. A quill would be dipped into it before writing on the page. This wooden inkhorn was made and decorated by a craftsman known as a turner. It was built to be portable, with a screw-on lid to keep the ink from drying out or leaking. It could be carried by literate writers to perform some administrative task (like acting as churchwarden). Writers had clear preferences for certain kinds of ink, and many would experiment by making recipes at home.<br /> <br /> There are thousands of printed and manuscript recipes for ink surviving for this period, demonstrating how the practice of its making was often home grown. Although many accounts demonstrate ink being purchased, it is rare to find an actual source for the substance before the mid-seventeenth century (Adrian Johns), and ink for writing was very different to the kind used in printing. It is likely that people bought ink from grocers, stationers, itinerant traders and markets, or made it themselves with ingredients gathered locally or purchased from apothecaries.
Inkhorn (Inkhorn), 1558-1603

Back to Literacy Collection icon

Inkhorn

Inkhorn (Inkhorn), 1558-1603

This inkhorn was used to store ink. A quill would be dipped into it before writing on the page. This wooden inkhorn was made and decorated by a craftsman known as a turner. It was built to be portable, with a screw-on lid to keep the ink from drying out or leaking. It could be carried by literate writers to perform some administrative task (like acting as churchwarden). Writers had clear preferences for certain kinds of ink, and many would experiment by making recipes at home.

There are thousands of printed and manuscript recipes for ink surviving for this period, demonstrating how the practice of its making was often home grown. Although many accounts demonstrate ink being purchased, it is rare to find an actual source for the substance before the mid-seventeenth century (Adrian Johns), and ink for writing was very different to the kind used in printing. It is likely that people bought ink from grocers, stationers, itinerant traders and markets, or made it themselves with ingredients gathered locally or purchased from apothecaries.

This object appears in our memory parlour and web tour. Can you find it?

Object Type Inkhorn
Year 1558-1603
Material Wood
Owned By SBT 1908-2
Keywords writing; administration; occupation; reputation; literacy; officeholding; householder wood; carving; tools
Image Credit Inkhorn (1558-1603), SBT 1908-2, CC-BY-NC-ND; Image Courtesy of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Back to Literacy Collection icon