Inkwells were first baseball -sized stones with depressions in which scribes mixed powdered pigments with solvents for their quills and dipping pens. Later soapstone, onyx, and marble were cut and carved into elaborate vessels for ink. Ceramics, glass, metal, shell, plastics, and even wood have all been made into some form of inkwell. Prior to fountain pens in the 1800s, people would carry ink with them if they wanted to write while on the road. Portable inkwells, sometimes called travel wells or travelers, were devised for this purpose. Scribe cases were often made of cast brass that had been chased, incised, or enameled. Lids for the inkwell part of the case were usually hinged while the covers at the end of the pen holder were typically press-fitted.
