A pen tray is a small, shallow, elongated dish designed to hold pens, quills, nibs and pencils on a writing desk. Pen trays were made as separate items and as integral parts of inkstands and desk sets, and are found in silver, brass, bronze, porcelain, papier mâché, wood and glass.
The form developed alongside the inkstand in the eighteenth century, when the quill pen required a safe resting place while the ink dried, and became an essential element of the well-furnished library or study. Georgian silver examples are often oval or boat-shaped with gadrooned rims, while Victorian and Edwardian makers produced a huge range of trays in cast brass, Gothic Revival metalwork, ceramic and leather-covered designs. Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau metalworkers made some particularly attractive hammered copper and pewter examples. Collectors look for clear hallmarks on silver pieces, crisp casting on bronze and brass, and the absence of dents, splits or later polishing wear. A pen tray is still a practical and attractive addition to a desk, holding pens, glasses or small items, and it makes an accessible starting point for collectors of writing accessories.
