Knife thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Metalware, Room 116, The Belinda Gentle Gallery

This object consists of 6 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Knife

1756 (made), ca.1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Ebony, ivory, fish skin, tortoiseshell, amber, bone, horn and shell were all popular for decorating cutlery. Around 1730 ceramic handles were introduced to Europe from China. Although cutlers were required by their guilds to be able to make a complete knife, handles of carved ivory, silver, bronze and glass were usually imported or made by specialist craftsmen.

Porcelain from China was so popular that European factories tried to imitate it. They could not immediately replicate the recipe for true Chinese porcelain (hard-paste), but devised substitutes known as 'soft-pastes'. Soft-paste factories at Bow and Chelsea produced ceramic knife handles in various patterns and styles from about 1750.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 6 parts.

  • Knife (Culinary Tool)
  • Knife (Culinary Tool)
  • Knife (Culinary Tool)
  • Knife (Culinary Tool)
  • Knife (Culinary Tool)
  • Knife (Culinary Tool)
Materials and techniques
Soft paste porcelain, painted enamel, silver, steel
Brief description
Knife with porcelain handle, London, ca.1756 (blade ca.1850).
Physical description
One of a set of six knives with a pistol-shaped handle made of soft-paste porcelain with painted enamel decoration and a silver ferrule.
Dimensions
  • Length: 27.1cm
  • Maximum width: 4.0cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'STAMMERS 99 STRAND LONDON' (Marked on the blade)
  • Transliteration
    .
Credit line
Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons Bequest
Production
Handle made 1756 by Bow Porcelain Factory, blade made by Stammers ca.1850
Summary
Ebony, ivory, fish skin, tortoiseshell, amber, bone, horn and shell were all popular for decorating cutlery. Around 1730 ceramic handles were introduced to Europe from China. Although cutlers were required by their guilds to be able to make a complete knife, handles of carved ivory, silver, bronze and glass were usually imported or made by specialist craftsmen.

Porcelain from China was so popular that European factories tried to imitate it. They could not immediately replicate the recipe for true Chinese porcelain (hard-paste), but devised substitutes known as 'soft-pastes'. Soft-paste factories at Bow and Chelsea produced ceramic knife handles in various patterns and styles from about 1750.
Collection
Accession number
M.1038toE-1926

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Record createdFebruary 4, 2005
Record URL
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