Paperknife
ca. 1600 - ca. 1650 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is one of a pair of ivory paper knives (with Mus. No. 1640-1856). The blades are of steel, partly gilty and are engraved with walking figures. The figures carved in the ivory handles of these early 17th-century paper knives represent Cupid (the God of Love) supported by a faun, a male deity with the horns and legs of a goat.
Paper knives often had handles of ivory, bone or wood. They were used to cut paper along a fold, in particular to open the uncut pages of books.
Paper knives often had handles of ivory, bone or wood. They were used to cut paper along a fold, in particular to open the uncut pages of books.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Etched and gilt steel with carved ivory |
Brief description | Scrivener's knife (one of a pair), ivory with steel blades, partly gilt, faun with putto carrying a coat of arms, Italy, ca. 1600-1650 |
Physical description | The handles of this pair of scrivener's knives are each elaborately carved in high relief with a nude putto carrying an unidentified coat of arms, surmounted by a cardinal's hat, supported by a faun, with foliate forms around a corinthian capital at the base. The blades are engraved with walking figures. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | Bought in 1856 (vendor unrecorded). |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is one of a pair of ivory paper knives (with Mus. No. 1640-1856). The blades are of steel, partly gilty and are engraved with walking figures. The figures carved in the ivory handles of these early 17th-century paper knives represent Cupid (the God of Love) supported by a faun, a male deity with the horns and legs of a goat. Paper knives often had handles of ivory, bone or wood. They were used to cut paper along a fold, in particular to open the uncut pages of books. |
Associated object | 1640-1856 (Object) |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 1641-1856 |
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Record created | March 1, 2005 |
Record URL |
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