A pair of cold painted bronze apples inkwells, dating from around 1890-1910, nicely detailed and weighty for their size, some wear to the paintwork and the hinge is broken on the smaller apple, both with gilt interiors, typical of Viennese production at that time. The largest inkwell measures 7.5cm (3") in diameter and weighs 477grams (16.82 ounces), the smaller is 6cm (2.36") in diameter and weighs 296 grams (10.44 ounces). The smaller apple bears a 'VII' stamp to the base which is repeated inside but etched not stamped, this would have either been a reference to a production run or possibly a size reference in a series but either way a clear identifier as a genuine foundry mark.
 
Austrian (Vienna) cold-painted bronzes of fruit, including apples, were especially fashionable during the late Austro-Hungarian Empire and into the early 20th century. These figures were made using a method in which oil paints were applied by hand to the cast bronze, resulting in the distinctive colourful, naturalistic finish you see.