Knife case

Status

Not on view

Date1787

Geography Made - England

Medium/TechniqueMahogany veneer (primary), unidentified softwood (case, interior partitions), oak (base), silver, brass, baize

DimensionsOverall (H x W x D): 14 3/4 in. x 9 1/4 in. x 10 1/2 in. (37.47 cm x 23.5 cm x 26.67 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. William T. Dixon Gibbs, 1984

Object numberM-2948/B

DescriptionVeneered, rectangular box-shaped knife case with serpentine front and deeply slanting lid. Banding framed by light- and dark-wood stringing outlines the perimeter of the lid. Light- and dark-wood stringing outlines the front facing edges and the back corners of the case. The interior of the case is fitted with vertical slats that support a pierced board able to accommodate forty-six pieces of cutlery. The perimeter of the board and each cutlery compartment is outlined in herringbone stringing. The interior of the lid features an inlaid eight-pointed star and a border of herringbone stringing that mirrors the profiles of the interior walls. The case rests upon a solid wood base that slightly projects from the case wall to form a lip. The underside of the base is covered in green baize. The lid is attached to the case with two oval hinges. A silver shield-shaped escutcheon and O-ring is affixed to the center of the lid front and centered below is a locking mechanism installed in the interior of the front wall of the base that catches an elongated loop extending downwards from the case lid. The lock is served by a second shield-shaped silver key escutcheon.
SignedSee Marks.
Published References

MarkingsWritten in script on the sub-base of the knife cases: “MS 22 6 mo no 50/1787”(on one) and (on the other) “51”.

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