You Got It - Inkwell!
This silver inkwell is chock full of important details. There are dogs at the corners, which some people think are there to watch over the words being written. Other people think that the artist put the dogs there as a reminder of Washington’s love of the outdoors. Also, dogs are symbols of loyalty. The inkwell also includes a “coat of arms,” a combination of symbols that an important family used to identify itself to the world. In the coat of arms of George Washington’s British ancestors, there were stars and bars. Although there is no direct connection between the coat of arms symbols and the stars and stripes of the American flag, it is a curious coincidence, don’t you think?