A hammered copper desk piece by Dirk Van Erp combines a covered inkwell with an integral pen tray on a single rectangular base. The square inkwell sits raised above the tray, topped by a pyramidal lid with gently sloping sides. The piece was made in San Francisco during the early decades of the twentieth century.

An elongated recessed channel runs across the front of the tray, shaped to hold pens or a letter opener. The lid of the inkwell shows broad, irregular planishing marks typical of hand hammered copper work. The tray extends outward in a stepped, curved profile beyond the inkwell. A rich reddish brown patina covers the entire surface, deepening to near black within the recesses.

Dirk Van Erp, a Dutch born coppersmith, established his San Francisco workshop around 1910 after working initially as a metalworker for the Navy. His hammered copper desk accessories, often signed with his windmill mark within an open box on the underside, were produced alongside his better known lamps and remain prized for their hand wrought surfaces and beautiful patinas.

The stand measures 3 1/2 by 12 by 8 inches. The patina is excellent and original.