A Bow blanc de chine Knife and Fork, circa 1755
Of pistol-grip shape, the moulded blanc de chine decoration of this knife and fork takes the form of festoons suspended from rococo C-scrolls. A band of acanthus leaves runs around the tapering hafts, just above the silver ferrules. The fork is fitted with three steel tines on a baluster stem, the knife with a scimitar steel blade.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: Both hafts are cracked, that of the fork having a couple of areas of restoration to small losses. The ferrules and steel fittings are fine.
Dimensions: Length of knife 28.2 cm (including blade); Length of fork 21.8 cm (including tines)
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).