A Saint-Cloud Knife, circa 1700-20
The early cannon-shaped haft is attractively painted in underglaze blue with Renaissance-inspired lambrequin designs loosely derived from the broderie ornaments of the designer Jean Berain (1640-1711) and his followers. The end of the haft is painted with a stylised flower head. The steel blade is held in place with a silver ferrule and decorative flower head pommel cap.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: Excellent – no chips, cracks or restoration, just some light kiln dusf from manufacture.
Dimensions: Length 26.5 cm (including blade and cap)
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).
Cutlery: From Gothic to Art Deco – The J. Hollander Collection, Jan van Trigt (Petraco-Pandora NV, 1999).