A Saint-Cloud Knife, circa 1720-40
This Saint-Cloud porcelain pistol-grip knife haft is decorated 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 haft is fitted with a silver ferrule, and the curved steel blade is stamped with an unclear cutler’s mark.
Condition: The blue underpainting is clear and of a good hue. The silver cap is lacking from the end of the handle, and there is a shallow chip to the underside, with associated slight damage beneath the ferrule. No other damage or restoration.
Dimensions: Length (including blade) 21 cm
Discovering the Secrets of Soft-Paste Porcelain at the Saint-Cloud Manufactory, c.1690-1766, Bertrand Rondot, Ed. (BGC / Yale, 1999).