Incredible Inkwell & Pen Holder Apparently Inspired by Robert Walpole

It is believed the inkwell is based on a caricature of Robert Walpole (1676-1745) the Whig Politician and who is regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain staying in post for over 20years. The caricature the inkwell is based on is by George Bickham the Younger and dated 1743 ). The caricature is an image of Walpole like this inkwell yawning but it is even more grotesque than this inkwell with his wide open mouth almost the shape of a fish and with more than one would expect severe looking teeth jutting out from it. Apparently Walpole was a master at getting his own way through prevarication wearing down the opposition and it worked he was in post for 20 years, and I think this is what the caricature and in turn this inkwell refers to. The inkwell I understand dates to the 1830s what the relevance of this period is to Walpole I am not sure. The inkwell has a truly wonderful matt surface which I think is termed dry glazed although I have seen other examples with a more usual shiny glaze applied, but I think it is the matt surface which helps portray the details so wonderfully.