Knife and Fork
1760-1780 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The handles on this knife and fork are made of turquoise enamel over a copper sheath. Enamel is a glass-like composition. Inlaid as a powder, it fuses after being fired in a kiln. Silver wire twisted around the handle adds both decoration and support.
Cutlers specialised in making blades. They trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business.
Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names.
Cutlers specialised in making blades. They trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business.
Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Steel, with handles of coloured enamel with silver wire twisted around and silver caps and ferrules |
| Brief description | Knife and fork, enamel and silver wire, probably Sheffield or Birmingham, ca.1760-80. |
| Physical description | Knife and fork with handles of turquoise coloured enamel with silver wire twisted around, silver caps and ferrules. |
| Credit line | Given by J. H. Fitzhenry |
| Summary | The handles on this knife and fork are made of turquoise enamel over a copper sheath. Enamel is a glass-like composition. Inlaid as a powder, it fuses after being fired in a kiln. Silver wire twisted around the handle adds both decoration and support. Cutlers specialised in making blades. They trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business. Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1066&A-1902 |
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| Record created | February 4, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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