An agateware Knife and Fork, probably Whieldon-Wedgwood, circa 1754-59
Of pistol grip form, the fork is fitted with two steel tines on a baluster stem, held in place with a silver ferrule, the knife with a scimitar steel blade.
Lead-glazed solid agateware knife and fork hafts were produced in Staffordshire, with examples of this type and period known from excavations carried out on the factory site of the Whieldon-Wedgwood partnership.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: No restoration. There are faint fissures in the agateware body of the knife haft, and a small, glaze-free area to the end. The silver ferrule to the fork has a tiny dimple. Although sharp, there is some age-related tarnishing to the steel fittings, and the knife is lacking its ferrule.
Dimensions: Knife length 24.2 cm (including blade); Fork length (including tines) 17.4 cm
Cutlery: From Gothic to Art Deco – The J. Hollander Collection, Jan van Trigt (Petraco-Pandora NV, 1999).