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Gold wedding knife

WB.201     about 1608 • knife

Curator's Description

Knife; slender pointed steel blade; gold handle, engraved with birds within scrolls filled with translucent enamels; two shields of arms: De Bordes of Amsterdam and arms of Commelin of Amsterdam; end of handle cut to represent scrolls, terminates in pearl; inscribed.

This object was collected and bequeathed to the British Museum by Ferdinand Anselm Rothschild.

Made In!

Netherlands
Dutch

What is it?

knife

Made Of

steel enamel gold pearl

Techniques

cut enamelled engraved

Subjects

heraldry bird de Bordes, Maria Commelin de Bordes, Baldwin

How big is it?

1.8 cm wide, 20.5 cm high, 0.8 cm deep, and it weighs 47g

Where is it?

London / The British Museum / Room 2A / Case 5a 23

Floor plan 2 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 6c 6d 6e 6f 6g 6h 7a 7b 7c 7d 7e 7f 7g 7h 7i 7j Entrance

Detailed Curatorial Notes

Provenance: None is recorded.

Commentary: The arms are those of Commelin and de Bordes (two families of Amsterdam) and Maria de Bordes is engraved and enamelled on the gold handle. On May 2 1608, Baldwin de Bordes married Maria Commelin.

Bibliography

  • Charles Hercules Read, 'The Waddesdon Bequest: Catalogue of the Works of Art bequeathed to the British Museum by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild, M.P., 1898', London, 1902, no. 201, pl.XLIII
  • O.M. Dalton, 'The Waddesdon Bequest', 2nd edn (rev), British Museum, London, 1927, no.201.

    • References

    1. Read 1902: Read, Charles Hercules, The Waddesdon Bequest. Catalogue of the Works of Art Bequeathed to the British Museum by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild, M.P., 1898, London, BMP, 1902
    2. Dalton 1927: Dalton, Ormonde Maddock, The Waddesdon Bequest : jewels, plate, and other works of art bequeathed by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild., London, BMP, 1927

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