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Knife and fork

Knife and fork

  • Place of origin:

    London (made)

  • Date:

    1698 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    How, Ephraim (cutler)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Steel with stained green and red ivory and silver piqué

  • Credit Line:

    Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons Bequest

  • Museum number:

    M.976&A-1926

  • Gallery location:

    Metalware, Room 116, The Belinda Gentle Gallery, case DR8 []

This set of knife and fork made of ivory, silver and steel are made in Britain in ca. 1698. The ivory handles are decorated in stained red and green ivory with piqué work of floral and arabesque designs. The blade is inscribed with the name of Ricard Rider, which is almost certainly the name of the owner. The cutler's mark of a dagger is probably that of Ephraim How.
Ephrain How and his son John ran a successful and productive cutlery factory. They standardised their designs, employed a large workforce and harnessed local water power. They sold from their shop on Saffron Hill near Clerkenwell in London. Ephraim How became master of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers in 1706.

Physical description

Knife and fork with carved ivory handles stained red and green and inlaid with silver wire and silver ferrules. The handles are decorated with piqué work of floral and arabesque designs.

Place of Origin

London (made)

Date

1698 (made)

Artist/maker

How, Ephraim (cutler)

Materials and Techniques

Steel with stained green and red ivory and silver piqué

Marks and inscriptions

'Ephraim How' [and] the dagger
Cutler's mark

Object history note

Croft Lyons Bequest in 1926.

Descriptive line

Knife and fork, ivory, silver and steel, handles with floral and arabesque design, British, London, ca. 1698

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

p. 436
Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013
Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, p. 436, cat. no. 472

Materials

Steel; Silver; Ivory

Techniques

Enamelling; Pique

Categories

Eating; Metalwork; Tableware & cutlery; Sculpture

Collection

Metalwork Collection

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