A Bow porcelain Fork, circa 1755
Of small size, this pistol grip fork is painted in underglaze blue with hatched foliage, stylised strapwork and lambrequins. The upper parts are decorated with bell flowers suspended from a cell-pattern border beside the scalloped silver ferrule. Fitted with three steel tines on a baluster stem.
The decoration, with its Renaissance-inspired lambrequin designs loosely derived from the broderie ornaments of the designer Jean Berain (1640-1711) and his followers, is very much in the manner of early Saint-Cloud porcelain.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: No damage or restoration. The haft is well painted and of an attractive tone of dark blue. The steel fitting is sharp but would benefit from a clean.
Dimensions: Length 18.4 cm (including tines)
A Review of Bow and Worcester Knife and Fork Hafts, Tony Stevenson (ECC Transactions, vol. 13, no. 3, 1989).
Bow Porcelain: The Collection formed by Geoffrey Freeman, A. Gabszewicz & G. Freeman (Lund Humphries, 1982).
Cutlery: From Gothic to Art Deco – The J. Hollander Collection, Jan van Trigt (Petraco-Pandora NV, 1999).