AN ENGRAVED CAST BRASS DIVIT PEN CASE WITH CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS Armenia or Ottoman Eastern Provinces, second half 19th century Of typical shape, comprising a narrow rectangular pen case compartment with rounded and curved terminals, attached to a faceted, bulbous inkwell on the front, the exterior engraved with a number of traditional Ottoman decorative motifs including knotwork bands, heart-shaped palmettes, and arabesque gridwork, on the neck of the pen case next to the inkwell an inscription in Armenian characters reading Ohanessian, possibly the name of the patron and owner, the curved terminals decorated with winged cherubs, and on the outer side of the pen case's body a drop-shaped cartouche in-filled with the Christian symbol of the pure Lamb of God, an allegory of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, suggesting the divit belonged to and was specifically commissioned by an Armenian Christian, stamped on the base of the inkwell with an Armenian mark, 4.5cm x 25.4cm.