This inkstand is one of the most extravagant European objects ever created in the popular Asian taste. It was retailed by Boucheron, a leading firm of jewelers and silversmiths in Paris at the end of the 19th century. Piling reference on reference, the central penholder in the shape of an archaic Chinese bronze vase is flanked by inkpots in the form of stacked porcelain bowls. Ink blotters at either end, shaped letter racks, and a concealed drawer in the base are all embellished with more than thirty different Japanese patterns in brightly colored enamels, a trademark of Boucheron’s leading designer, Paul Legrand. Witty, stylish, colorful, and beautifully made, this luxurious desk accessory appealed to an equally extravagant American buyer, Marie Louise Mackay. Her Irish-born husband, John William Mackay, known as “the silver king,” was a partner in the legendary Comstock Lode silver mines in Nevada and one of the wealthiest men in the United States.