Divit or kalamdan
A portable pen case, or divit, or kalamdan has an inkwell on the exterior, at one end of the tubular arm that holds the pens. Divit is a Turkish word derived from the Arabic word dawat for "ink bottle". Qalamdan (Kalemdan in Turkish): comes from the Persian words qalam (pen/reed pen) and dan (container or case), literally meaning "pen case". These were essential, often highly decorated, portable writing sets used by scribes and high-ranking officials throughout the Islamic world, including the Ottoman Empire. Governors and Ottoman administrators used them for signing firmans, orders or decisions, while scribes used them for writing. Quills were originally kept in the penholder, and the little hinged box served as an inkwell. Both were made of either brass or silver, sometimes with gold appliques. They were decorated with calligraphy or vegetal designs. These apparatuses were status symbols and objects of art, reflecting the high value placed on the art of writing in Ottoman culture. The cases were designed to be portable, often featuring a loop to be tucked into or hung from a belt, allowing scribes to travel easily.
mmr_00008 > Ottoman inkwell
You can see this exhibit up close, along with many others, in the ground-floor exhibition room of CVAR.
