Italian, 1470-1500, leather, Hailstone collection

For knives and other implements. Black leather "cuir bouilli", embossed with bands of floral decoration, a shield of arms, and the inscription "Fidelis esto dno" (domino), on a dotted ground.

Bought for £26 5s from the Hailstone Collection (auctioned in London, Feb. 1891, lot 1163) 'no cover'.
RF 55/2298 (Christies, 1878-97). The sum of £1000 was set apart by the Museum for purchases 'if procurable at moderate prices'. The purchases included a renaissance buffet, silverware, ceramics, brasswork, carvings, a chair (lot 832), leatherwork (lots 1162-1166 and 1171.

Edward Hailstone (1818-91) was a solicitor, and lover of archaeology and antiques, who lived at Walton Hall near Wakefield (Yorkshire) from 1871 until his death. He is said to have had large collections of English and continental furniture, books and prints.

Notes by W.A.Thorpe c1959:
102 - 1891

CONTAINER FROM A KNIFE CASE, for carving-knife, trencher-knife and other utensils. Boiled leather in two pairs of layers, the outermost with decoration tooled in polished relief against a stippled ground. Several seams evident inside.

On the obverse, below the embushment [embouchement - opening?], a vertical panel of leafy ornament in partitions, incorporating a shaped shield (on a fesse engrailed in chief a lion rampant) of arms unidentified, above a 'Moorish' ribbon running vertically, with the legend FIDELIS ESTO DNO in Gothic letter, for fidelis esto domino. On the reverse and on the ends with wavy stems of formal leaves.

Interior partitioned in leather, as for / longest handled knife, / smaller handled knife, / pair of smaller knives, and 10 small knives of similar size to one another. Lower part of the longest partition sheathed with wood. Knives long wanting. No other lining.
Shut-over cap long wanting. On the sides a pair of tubular eyes for a thong long wanting.

ITALIAN OR FRENCH; 15th century.

102-1891