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Chinese Ivory

Place Setting, `Chinese Ivory'
1975 onwards (made), 1975 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

'Chinese Ivory' was first manufactured in 1975, the tenth of David Mellor's cutlery designs to come into production. Although as a designer, David Mellor has been involved in an immense variety of projects of many shapes and sizes - from large-scale designs for quantity production to individual pieces of specially commissioned hand-made silver - he has always specialised in cutlery. He has designed cutlery in sterling silver for British embassies and cutlery in stainless steel for government canteens. Five different ranges of his cutlery have won Design Centre Awards. Chinese Ivory and Chinese Black were given the award in 1977.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 6 parts.

  • Table Knife
  • Table Spoon
  • Table Fork
  • Dessert Knife
  • Dessert Fork
  • Dessert Spoon
TitleChinese Ivory (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Metal parts blanked out of flat strip steel and edged by machine, handles formed of acetal resin
Brief description
'Chinese Ivory' six piece place setting, (Dessert spoon, dessert fork and dessert knife, table spoon, table fork and table knife) designed and manufactured by David Mellor, Sheffield, 1975.
Physical description
Set of cutlery consisting of one table knife, fork and spoon and a smaller set made up of a dessert knife and spoon. White acetal resin handle fixed to stainless steel blade or bowl by a single steel tack in the centre. The knife blades are completely flat, the forks have four, broad tines, the spoons have a broad, shallow bowl.
Dimensions
  • Table knife length: 21.5cm
  • Table knife width: 2.2cm
  • Table fork length: 19.5cm
  • Table fork width: 2.2cm
  • Soup spoon length: 20cm
  • Soup spoon width: 5.2cm (maximum)
  • Dessert knife length: 18.5cm
  • Dessert knife width: 1.9cm
  • Dessert fork length: 18cm
  • Dessert fork width: 2.0cm
  • Dessert spoon length: 17.5cm
  • Dessert spoon width: 4.3cm (maximum)
Style
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
DAVID MELLOR / SHEFFIELD ENGLAND (On the knife blades only.)
Credit line
Given by the manufacturer
Object history
" 'Chinese Ivory' was first manufactured in 1975, the tenth of David Mellor's cutlery designs to come into production. Although as a designer, David Mellor has been involved in an immense variety of projects of many shapes and sizes - from large-scale designs for quantity production to individual pieces of specially commissioned hand-made silver - he has always specialized in cutlery. He has designed cutlery in sterling silver for British embassies and cutlery in stainless steel for government canteens. Five different ranges of his cutlery have won Design Centre Awards. Chinese Ivory and Chinese Black were given the award in 1977." (taken from David Mellor promotional material)
A six piece place setting was originally retailed for £14.80 in 1975.

Historical significance: Winner of Design Centre Award in 1977.
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Summary
'Chinese Ivory' was first manufactured in 1975, the tenth of David Mellor's cutlery designs to come into production. Although as a designer, David Mellor has been involved in an immense variety of projects of many shapes and sizes - from large-scale designs for quantity production to individual pieces of specially commissioned hand-made silver - he has always specialised in cutlery. He has designed cutlery in sterling silver for British embassies and cutlery in stainless steel for government canteens. Five different ranges of his cutlery have won Design Centre Awards. Chinese Ivory and Chinese Black were given the award in 1977.
Bibliographic references
  • Christopher Frayling, <u>David Mellor master metalworker</u>, Sheffield, Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust, 1998, p.74-75.
  • Teleri Lloyd-Jones, David Mellor Design, Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2009. pp.82-83. ISBN.978-1-85149-603-7
  • Lily Crowther, Award Winning British Design 1957-1988, London, V&A Publishing, 2012. pp.20, 95. ill. ISBN. 978-1-851-77673-3
Collection
Accession number
M.3 to E-1978

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Record createdApril 3, 2002
Record URL
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