Knife and Fork
ca. 1650-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The ivory handles on this knife and fork are inlaid with panels of engraved silver. The silver ends of the handles have been chased and engraved. Chasing does not cut into the metal like engraving, but presses the metal into shape from both sides using a fine tool.
Cutlers specialised in making blades. They trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business.
Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names.
Cutlers specialised in making blades. They trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business.
Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Steel, with handles of ivory inlaid with engraved silver |
| Brief description | Knife and fork with handles of ivory and silver, Saxony, ca.1650-1700. |
| Physical description | Knife and fork with ivory handles inlaid with panels of engraved silver. |
| Summary | The ivory handles on this knife and fork are inlaid with panels of engraved silver. The silver ends of the handles have been chased and engraved. Chasing does not cut into the metal like engraving, but presses the metal into shape from both sides using a fine tool. Cutlers specialised in making blades. They trained as apprentices for up to seven years, working for a freeman cutler who housed and fed them. In England a cutler would have to prove himself as bladesmith and hafter (maker of handles) in order to obtain the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, gain his own mark and set up his own business. Many cutlers acted as middlemen who bought blades from bladesmiths, handles from hafters and sheaths from sheathers. They assembled the cutlery themselves and sold them under their own names. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 2321&A-1855 |
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| Record created | January 21, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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