A Saint-Cloud Knife and Fork, circa 1750
Of large pistol-grip shape, moulded in the white with a strung coin motif, foliate scrolls, and stylised flower heads. The design is probably derived from ‘the piastres of French silverware’ (Stevenson). The fork is fitted with two steel prongs on a baluster stem, the knife with a scimitar steel blade. Silver ferrules and a silver cap to the fork.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: No damage or restoration to the porcelain, just some kiln speckling to the glaze, from manufacture. A tiny section of the ferrule is lacking on the fork, and the cap is lost from the end of the knife haft. A usable set, with the steel only requiring a clean and polish.
Dimensions: Length of knife 27.8 cm (including blade); Length of fork 22 cm (including prongs)
Discovering the Secrets of Soft-Paste Porcelain at the Saint-Cloud Manufactory, c.1690-1766, Bertrand Rondot, Ed. (BGC / Yale, 1999).
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).