In ancient Egypt, a rich man would not write his own letters but would travel with a scribe who composed his letters for him.

The scribe used a crude pen that had to be dipped in ink; he carried it on a stone with a slight hollow.

As more people learned to write, the ink holders became fancier, and carved stones such as jade or marble were used.

Liquid ink, a mixture of black dye and liquid, made a different type of inkwell necessary.

A traveling man had a pen and ink in a leakproof container made of ceramic, glass, shells or, later, metal or plastic.

The era of the inkwells that interests most collectors began in the 18th century. Elaborate ceramic containers to hold ink on a desk as part of a set in an inkstand were important accessories.

Soon all inkwells were glass set in metal or other leakproof containers that could screw or clamp shut. One of the most unusual is the porcelain "snail," a revolving, tilting inkwell. It looks like a snail shell on a metal frame standing on a saucer. The bottle revolves so the snail's head tilts up, exposing the opening for the pen. There are even twin snail holders.

Lewis Waterman invented the first practical fountain pen, which he patented in 1884, and the need for inkwells vanished.

Then, in the 1940s, the ballpoint pen was made and few now use pen-and-ink. But collectors search for old inkwells.

A snail inkwell sold at a Glass Works online bottle auction in New Jersey recently for $156. It was made of white porcelain and decorated with hand-painted multicolor flowers.

Q: My grandmother got a W. Adams & Co. dinner service as a wedding gift in 1916. I only have the tureens and serving plates and wonder whether they are worth anything. The serving plates have some "age" spots, but the tureens are in perfect condition.

The dishes are marked with a crown over a circle with a pretzel-shaped mark in the middle, the words "crown, semi-porcelain," and "W. Adams & Co., England." We'd like to know what they are worth and how to sell them.

A: Adams and Sons of Staffordshire, England, was founded in 1769. The mark you describe was used from about 1879 into the early 20th century. Serving pieces sell for a wide variety of prices, from less than $20 to more than $100, depending on pattern and condition.

You can try a matching service such as replacements.com, but it's probably easier to sell them to a local antiques store or resale shop. Dinnerware is hard to sell. Platters sell for $20 to more than $100, tureens for $24 to $50 or more online.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

• Rumrill: bowl, green, stacked rings, tabs at shoulders, 7¾ inches, $25

• Roseville double-wall pocket: pine cone pattern, green, 8¾ inches, $160

• Blown-glass sculpture: flower, trumpet shape, blue, purple speckle, John Leighton, 27 inches, $345

• Tiffany glass bowl: blue iridescent, overlapping petals, pontil mark, 1925, 3 by 7½ inches, $795

• Coffee table: Gianfranco Frattini, Kyoto series, beech, ebony, openwork grid, 1974, 14 by 36 inches, $2,930

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel, authorities on collectibles, write for the King Features Syndicate. Visit www.kovels.com.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel, authorities on collectibles, write for the King Features Syndicate. Visit www.kovels.com.