A Knife and Fork, probably Saint-Cloud, circa 1740
Of faceted pistol form, this knife and fork are painted in underglaze blue with alternate panels of diaper and Berainesque ornaments. Fitted with silver ferrules and caps, and steel blade and tines. The blade is stamped DLN.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: The porcelain is in excellent condition, with just a little kiln dust and wear to the glaze from use. The pattern and tone of underglaze blue differs slightly between the knife and the fork. The ferrule on the fork is scalloped, and plain on the knife. No chips, cracks or restoration.
Dimensions: Knife length 21.6 cm (including blade); Fork length (including tines) 19.7 cm
Discovering the Secrets of Soft-Paste Porcelain at the Saint-Cloud Manufactory, c.1690-1766, Bertrand Rondot, Ed. (BGC / Yale, 1999).
French Porcelain: A Catalogue of the British Museum Collection, Aileen Dawson (British Museum Press, 2000).
French Porcelain of the Eighteenth Century, Christopher Maxwell (V&A Publishing, 2009).
Cutlery: From Gothic to Art Deco – The J. Hollander Collection, Jan van Trigt (Petraco-Pandora NV, 1999).