Knife
1800-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the 17th century, sets of matching cutlery were still a novelty, and highly prized. The culture of the day demanded that they ‘should not be merely polished and abundant but also rare and distinct.’ It was the sign of a gentleman that he possessed cutlery made of unusual and valuable materials, and many knives, forks and spoons of this period have handles of agate, ivory, or other precious materials.
These sets were at first restricted to a single knife, fork and spoon, which were carried in a fitted case for the personal use of the owner. It was not until the end of the 17th century that sets of multiple pieces, provided by the host rather than the guest, began to appear. This set was originally described as 17th-century Italian when it was acquired by the Museum in 1854, but it is more likely that it was made later, perhaps not long before it was acquired.
These sets were at first restricted to a single knife, fork and spoon, which were carried in a fitted case for the personal use of the owner. It was not until the end of the 17th century that sets of multiple pieces, provided by the host rather than the guest, began to appear. This set was originally described as 17th-century Italian when it was acquired by the Museum in 1854, but it is more likely that it was made later, perhaps not long before it was acquired.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cloudy agate capped with silver-gilt filigree with a steel blade |
| Brief description | Knife with handle of cloudy agate with silver-gilt filigree and steel blade, possibly Germany, 1800-1850. |
| Physical description | Knife with cylindrical tapering handle of cloudy agate and steel blade. The handle has a band of silver-gilt filigree round the base and is capped with a filigree rosette on the top, attached to the tang. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | A cross. (On blade.)
|
| Summary | In the 17th century, sets of matching cutlery were still a novelty, and highly prized. The culture of the day demanded that they ‘should not be merely polished and abundant but also rare and distinct.’ It was the sign of a gentleman that he possessed cutlery made of unusual and valuable materials, and many knives, forks and spoons of this period have handles of agate, ivory, or other precious materials. These sets were at first restricted to a single knife, fork and spoon, which were carried in a fitted case for the personal use of the owner. It was not until the end of the 17th century that sets of multiple pieces, provided by the host rather than the guest, began to appear. This set was originally described as 17th-century Italian when it was acquired by the Museum in 1854, but it is more likely that it was made later, perhaps not long before it was acquired. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1323E/1-1854 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
