Description:
One of a set of twelve English scimitar-bladed knives and three tine forks with Chinese export porcelain handles decorated in the Famille rose palette of red, pink, yellow, blue, and green flowers, bugs, butterflies, dragonflies, gilt border on the top and and molded gilt feathering on the end, silver mounts or ferrules, and steel blades and tines. Porcelain hafts were introduced into Europe from China, and the subsequent demand stimulated the production of porcelain hafts at many European factories. The Saint-Cloud factory near Paris specialized in Baroque moulded ornament and underglaze blue, while the Bow factory in London, which produced similar designs, dominated the English market. Specializing in making blades, cutlers trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business. Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names. Until the 17th century, it was the custom for guests to bring their personal cutlery, but by the 18th century knives and forks were provided in matching sets by the host. The basic form of knives and forks had also become standardized by this date. By the mid-18th century, table knives and forks were usually made in sets and decorated to match the rest of the cutlery. By the end of the 18th century the standard pistol-shaped haft (handle) gave way to straighter, flat-ended hafts; forks generally had smaller hafts. The knife blade is usually of sabre, or scimitar, shape. The steel blades and shanks have a 'tang' or rod at the base that fits into the hollow handle, which is then packed with resin. The junction between haft and blade is fitted with a small metal collar, or 'ferrule.'
Subjects:
Pottery; Enamel and enameling; glaze (coating by location); polychrome; Porcelain Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+61.182.8 |
