Knife, Bow, soft paste porcelain, c.1755

Of small size, the pistol-grip haft is moulded in the white with a strung coin motif and foliate scrolls. The design is probably based on a Saint-Cloud example, itself derived from 'the piastres of French silverware' (Stevenson). The knife has a curved steel blade with an indistinct stamped mark (possibly DOVER), and a scalloped silver-gilt ferrule.

Condition: Good - no damage or restoration. There is wear to the gilding on the ferrule.

Dimensions: Length 21 cm (including blade)

Bow Porcelain: The Collection formed by Geoffrey Freeman, A. Gabszewicz & G. Freeman (Lund Humphries, 1982).

A Review of Bow and Worcester Knife and Fork Hafts, Tony Stevenson (ECC Transactions, vol. 13, no. 3, 1989).

Cutlery: From Gothic to Art Deco - The J. Hollander Collection, Jan van Trigt (Petraco-Pandora NV, 1999).