📌 Expertise needed: Rare antique European dip pen

[Erika]

Hello everyone 😊, greetings from the Netherlands! Happy to be here in the Fountain Pen Network 😁

 

I need your expertise. I've acquired this striking, antique personalized dip pen made of ivory from a reputable auction house. Aside from certifying the authenticity and legality of the item, they don't have information such as:

 

• Were pens like these made for military personnel, artists, medical staff at that time, etc?
• Were these given as an acknowledgement of a notable contribution or because of a special event?
• Was personalization of pens like these typical back then? 

 

I'm a complete novice on fountain pens and after hours of research, I couldn't find any leads. I just want to know the story behind it.

 

I did find some Frans Peeters during that time period: one was a soldier, one was an artist and another one was a Belgian architect. I don't know if the any of them is the Frans Peeters I'm looking for. Perhaps it's best I approach a Dutch govt. body on public records.

 

Any info would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

Edited April 30, 2021 by Erika

[carola]

I have never before seen a pen like that... Nice catch!

[Erika]

Thanks @carola! Me neither. I hope someone here at FPN can tell me about it. 

[peterg]

I didn't get very far on this one.

To my surprise I have visited Harderwyk. It is a pretty Hanseatic town and there are records of Peeters family living there.

The best I can suggest is that you contact the Stads Museum

https://www.stadsmuseum-harderwijk.nl/?lang=en

and ask them if they have records of either a Frans Peeters as a craftsman, manufacturer or stationary shop in the town around 1916.

[Erika]

  On 4/30/2021 at 8:26 PM, peterg said:

I didn't get very far on this one.

To my surprise I have visited Harderwyk. It is a pretty Hanseatic town and there are records of Peeters family living there.

The best I can suggest is that you contact the Stads Museum

https://www.stadsmuseum-harderwijk.nl/?lang=en

and ask them if they have records of either a Frans Peeters as a craftsman, manufacturer or stationary shop in the town around 1916.

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Thank you very much, @peterg! That's an excellent suggestion as well as the angle that he might've had established business there. I've never been to Harderwijk but will consider visiting it soon.

 

I've contacted the Stadsmuseum via email and earlier, I've also reached out to genealogical and historical societies in Harderwijk. I'll let you know if I hear more. Thank you very much again for this excellent lead 😁👍🏻🙏🏻

Edited May 1, 2021 by Erika

[AAAndrew]

The style and shape and quality of the part that holds the pen (a simple, folded metal piece), this looks to me like a tourist souvenir.  You find many souvenir pens made out of bone, mother-of- pearl, wood, etc... Many have place names written on them. The fact that this has a place name on it, tells me it's almost certainly in the same category.

 

This is the first I've seen where they cut out someone's name, most likely with a jeweler's saw and files. From what I can see, it looks like bone. If it was ivory, I think it the metal part would be of a higher quality. And ivory would be harder to saw out cleanly. 

 

Most likely, they had the basic pen holder already made. You would tell them your name and they add it along with the location. Then you have a souvenir of your trip to Harderwyk! 

 

I can't see the imprint on the pen itself, but it's obviously a stub and could be from the period. 

 

It's an interesting piece, and unlike other souvenir pens I've seen. Congratulations! 

[Grayspoole]

I didn’t get very far either, but I ended up finding other small items carved from ivory and bone in the Netherlands, making me think of sailors and scrimshaw.

 

This pen is not as finely carved as the OP’s but it does have a name carved in it. Sold at auction here:

https://www.catawiki.com/l/10805353-rare-with-name-cut-out-ivory-antique-fountain-pen-and-accessories-with-attached-certificate

[AAAndrew]

Nice. I'm sure there are others once you know what to look for. Some may even be separated from their original pen holder and so it's not clear how to categorize them. 

 

 

[Erika]

  On 5/3/2021 at 6:46 PM, AAAndrew said:

The style and shape and quality of the part that holds the pen (a simple, folded metal piece), this looks to me like a tourist souvenir.  You find many souvenir pens made out of bone, mother-of- pearl, wood, etc... Many have place names written on them. The fact that this has a place name on it, tells me it's almost certainly in the same category.

 

This is the first I've seen where they cut out someone's name, most likely with a jeweler's saw and files. From what I can see, it looks like bone. If it was ivory, I think it the metal part would be of a higher quality. And ivory would be harder to saw out cleanly. 

 

Most likely, they had the basic pen holder already made. You would tell them your name and they add it along with the location. Then you have a souvenir of your trip to Harderwyk! 

 

I can't see the imprint on the pen itself, but it's obviously a stub and could be from the period. 

 

It's an interesting piece, and unlike other souvenir pens I've seen. Congratulations! 

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@AAAndrew Thank you very much for the input and yes it's an interesting piece indeed! You could be right that it might've been a souvenir.

 

I've approached a conservator at the Stadsmuseum Harderwijk (thanks to @peterg's advice) and the conservator stated this was made from the Belgian refugee camp in Harderwijk (old name Harderwyk) during WWI. She said that Frans Peeters could be the maker or the recipient of the pen. Checking the records of the refugees in that camp, I found 2 men with the same name and both have been in the camp since 1914. One was a soldier and the other a brigadier. So either could be the maker or the recipient. ☺️

 

The pen is indeed ivory. Upon closer inspection, it does not possess markings that bone has, and it has a certificate. Indeed, the maker must've been very skilled to have carved the ivory so intricately. 

 

The metal part could've been a better quality but perhaps given the circumstances at the refugee camp, it could be that it was all he had to work with. Either way, such an interesting item. I'm captivated 🥰

Edited May 6, 2021 by Erika

[Erika]

  On 5/3/2021 at 7:40 PM, Grayspoole said:

I didn’t get very far either, but I ended up finding other small items carved from ivory and bone in the Netherlands, making me think of sailors and scrimshaw.

 

This pen is not as finely carved as the OP’s but it does have a name carved in it. Sold at auction here:

https://www.catawiki.com/l/10805353-rare-with-name-cut-out-ivory-antique-fountain-pen-and-accessories-with-attached-certificate

Expand  

 

Thank you for helping me search for info, @Grayspoole! I saw this item online, too! There was also a similar-looking artifact (letter opener) at the Stadsmuseum Harderwijk with pretty much the same font type. It came from the Belgian refugee camp in Harderwijk. 😊

[AAAndrew]

  On 5/5/2021 at 12:43 PM, Erika said:

 

@AAAndrew Thank you very much for the input and yes it's an interesting piece indeed! You could be right that it might've been a souvenir.

 

I've approached a conservator at the Stadsmuseum Harderwijk and she stated this is made from the Belgian refugee camp in Harderwijk (old name Harderwyk) during WWI. She said that Frans Peeters could be the maker or de recipient of the pen. Checking the records of the refugees in that camp, I found 2 men with the same name and both have been in the camp since 1914. One was a soldier and the other a brigadier. So either could be the maker or the recipient. ☺️

 

The pen is indeed ivory. Upon closer inspection, it does not possess markings that bone has, and it has a certificate. Indeed, the maker must've been very skilled to have carved the ivory so intricately. 

 

The metal part could've been a better quality but perhaps given the circumstances at the refugee camp, it could be that it was all he had to work with. Either way, such an interesting item. I'm captivated 🥰

Expand  

 

Very interesting!  I wonder where they would have gotten the ivory? So, did Harerwijk hold military or civilian refugees?  It would make more sense for a civilian craftsman who had brought some of their stock of ivory with them. 

 

Even though it wasn't a traditional travel souvenir, I would still classify this as a type of souvenir, made as a memento of a place and time.

 

I have a memento also from WWI. These were often made by local craftsmen using the discarded shells and sold to the soldiers. This one says "Lorraine 1918."  

[Erika]

  On 5/5/2021 at 3:17 PM, AAAndrew said:

 

Very interesting!  I wonder where they would have gotten the ivory? So, did Harerwijk hold military or civilian refugees?  It would make more sense for a civilian craftsman who had brought some of their stock of ivory with them. 

 

Even though it wasn't a traditional travel souvenir, I would still classify this as a type of souvenir, made as a memento of a place and time.

 

I have a memento also from WWI. These were often made by local craftsmen using the discarded shells and sold to the soldiers. This one says "Lorraine 1918."  

Expand  

 

What extraordinary and unique items you have! Who was Lorraine? Do you know? Or is it a brand, an acronym or something else? May I ask how did you come across such items?

 

About the ivory acquisition, I read somewhere that harvesting ivory was part of the colonial exploitation of the Congo by Léopold II, the king of Belgium who ruled the country until the early 1900s. Perhaps that could explain things. I mean those were different times. I mean I just found a photo of a man wrestling a bear in that Harderwijk camp (see https://www.europeana.eu/en/blog/the-belgian-exodus-of-world-war-one).

 

The refugee camp in Harderwijk had mainly military personnel. The civilian refugees were placed in other camps. Perhaps the one who carved the pen was a multi-talented military man. 

[como]

Absolutely fascinating! Though I have nothing to contribute, I would like to thank you all for sharing your research, inputs and enthusiasm. 👏

[AAAndrew]

  On 5/5/2021 at 5:07 PM, Erika said:

 

What extraordinary and unique items you have! Who was Lorraine? Do you know? Or is it a brand, an acronym or something else? May I ask how did you come across such items?

 

About the ivory acquisition, I read somewhere that harvesting ivory was part of the colonial exploitation of the Congo by Léopold II, the king of Belgium who ruled the country until the early 1900s. Perhaps that could explain things. I mean those were different times. I mean I just found a photo of a man wrestling a bear in that Harderwijk camp (see https://www.europeana.eu/en/blog/the-belgian-exodus-of-world-war-one).

 

The refugee camp in Harderwijk had mainly military personnel. The civilian refugees were placed in other camps. Perhaps the one who carved the pen was a multi-talented military man. 

Expand  

 

Lorraine is a region in France where a lot of fighting went on in WWI. A lot of the American Expeditionary Force (the American soldiers) were stationed there. Some local artisan made up a double-ended pen and pencil holder from large bullets, decorated it with the name and date, and poppies, and sold it to one of the soldiers there. It then made its way back to the US, where I bought it. It could also have been made for sale to tourists who came to tour the battle fields at a later time. This is suggested by the use of 1918, when the war ended, and poppies, which became significant symbols of remembrance. 

[Erika]

  On 5/5/2021 at 8:18 PM, AAAndrew said:

 

Lorraine is a region in France where a lot of fighting went on in WWI. A lot of the American Expeditionary Force (the American soldiers) were stationed there. Some local artisan made up a double-ended pen and pencil holder from large bullets, decorated it with the name and date, and poppies, and sold it to one of the soldiers there. It then made its way back to the US, where I bought it. It could also have been made for sale to tourists who came to tour the battle fields at a later time. This is suggested by the use of 1918, when the war ended, and poppies, which became significant symbols of remembrance. 

Expand  

 

Thank you for the info about this lovely pen. Such a unique, eye-catching piece 🥰

[Erika]

  On 5/5/2021 at 7:49 PM, como said:

Absolutely fascinating! Though I have nothing to contribute, I would like to thank you all for sharing your research, inputs and enthusiasm. 👏

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Thank you, @como. I'm glad you enjoyed reading about our items here 😊

[Mr Bill]

  On 5/5/2021 at 12:43 PM, Erika said:

Either way, such an interesting item. I'm captivated

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I can see why, it is really a bit of a treasure.

[peterg]

  On 5/5/2021 at 12:43 PM, Erika said:

 

@AAAndrew Thank you very much for the input and yes it's an interesting piece indeed! You could be right that it might've been a souvenir.

 

I've approached a conservator at the Stadsmuseum Harderwijk (thanks to @peterg's advice) and the conservator stated this was made from the Belgian refugee camp in Harderwijk (old name Harderwyk) during WWI. She said that Frans Peeters could be the maker or the recipient of the pen. Checking the records of the refugees in that camp, I found 2 men with the same name and both have been in the camp since 1914. One was a soldier and the other a brigadier. So either could be the maker or the recipient. ☺️

 

The pen is indeed ivory. Upon closer inspection, it does not possess markings that bone has, and it has a certificate. Indeed, the maker must've been very skilled to have carved the ivory so intricately. 

 

The metal part could've been a better quality but perhaps given the circumstances at the refugee camp, it could be that it was all he had to work with. Either way, such an interesting item. I'm captivated 🥰

Expand  

I'm so pleased for you, Erika.

Very few of us are able to get such a complete history for our treasures.

[Erika]

  On 5/10/2021 at 2:40 PM, peterg said:

I'm so pleased for you, Erika.

Very few of us are able to get such a complete history for our treasures.

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Thank you so much @peterg! Your advice brought me a LOT closer to finding Frans. You saved me so much time and effort. I was quite overwhelmed on which path to go to next. So thank you 🙏🏻☺️

Edited May 10, 2021 by Erika

[Erika]

  On 5/10/2021 at 2:32 PM, Mr Bill said:

I can see why, it is really a bit of a treasure.

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@Mr BillThank you. I'll cherish this pen for always.