Description
Travel cutlery (kit). Ottoman Greece, 1719 Two-tined iron fork with undulating gold fillets, between which is a gilded brass decorative element mounted on a stem. The outer edge of the two prongs is inlaid with gold fillet. The ferrule was probably replaced at a later date. Knife with an iron or mild steel blade, bearing the gold Christogram "IC XC / NIKA" on one side and a cross on the other, and a gold fillet on the back. The handles are six-sided in silver with traces of gilding. Silver case entirely decorated with niello scrolls with four irregular sides (the main one with two facets) on a wooden core with a silver and vermeil cap and a hinged side ring. Three sides bear two cartouches engraved with plant motifs on a gilded amati ground, five of which are bordered by a niello frieze. The fourth features in the upper cartouche a reserve between two engraved flowers on an amati background with a four-line niello inscription in Greek "ΘΟΔΟ / ΡΙCΒΑ / ΡΙΒΟΖ / H" (?) followed by a date (1719?). Seven types of engraved motifs are listed: a large hexagonal motif on the main panel, a small diamond-shaped motif on a secondary panel, a terminal motif on the main panel, three distinct types of flowers on all panels and a two-leaf plant on the main panel. Silver, iron, gold, brass, niello. Length: 20 cm (case), 17.8 cm (knife) and 17.5 cm (fork); Total gross weight: 154 g Several examples of these Ottoman kits for Greeks have been recorded, mostly dating from the first half of the 18th century. However, this cutlery was already present in the 17th century, with a hexagonal cap on the knife and fork handles, later replaced by a bichaq handle with a bird's head. A case with an identical cap and bouterolle, decorated with the same sequence of engraved motifs (at least on the main face), is in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (N° 1388toB-1888). A similar flatware set is in the British Museum (Museum number 1927,0110.1), and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (N° 93.13.85-.87 ). In Robert Elgood's book "The arms of Greece and heer Balkans neighbours in the Ottoman period", we find a set with very similar cutlery (p. 49) and a knife case of the same type (p. 50). We would like to thank Mr. Apostolos Gkouzis for his help, particularly in reading the date.
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Travel cutlery (kit). Ottoman Greece, 1719 Two-tined iron fork with undulating gold fillets, between which is a gilded brass decorative element mounted on a stem. The outer edge of the two prongs is inlaid with gold fillet. The ferrule was probably replaced at a later date. Knife with an iron or mild steel blade, bearing the gold Christogram "IC XC / NIKA" on one side and a cross on the other, and a gold fillet on the back. The handles are six-sided in silver with traces of gilding. Silver case entirely decorated with niello scrolls with four irregular sides (the main one with two facets) on a wooden core with a silver and vermeil cap and a hinged side ring. Three sides bear two cartouches engraved with plant motifs on a gilded amati ground, five of which are bordered by a niello frieze. The fourth features in the upper cartouche a reserve between two engraved flowers on an amati background with a four-line niello inscription in Greek "ΘΟΔΟ / ΡΙCΒΑ / ΡΙΒΟΖ / H" (?) followed by a date (1719?). Seven types of engraved motifs are listed: a large hexagonal motif on the main panel, a small diamond-shaped motif on a secondary panel, a terminal motif on the main panel, three distinct types of flowers on all panels and a two-leaf plant on the main panel. Silver, iron, gold, brass, niello. Length: 20 cm (case), 17.8 cm (knife) and 17.5 cm (fork); Total gross weight: 154 g Several examples of these Ottoman kits for Greeks have been recorded, mostly dating from the first half of the 18th century. However, this cutlery was already present in the 17th century, with a hexagonal cap on the knife and fork handles, later replaced by a bichaq handle with a bird's head. A case with an identical cap and bouterolle, decorated with the same sequence of engraved motifs (at least on the main face), is in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (N° 1388toB-1888). A similar flatware set is in the British Museum (Museum number 1927,0110.1), and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (N° 93.13.85-.87 ). In Robert Elgood's book "The arms of Greece and heer Balkans neighbours in the Ottoman period", we find a set with very similar cutlery (p. 49) and a knife case of the same type (p. 50). We would like to thank Mr. Apostolos Gkouzis for his help, particularly in reading the date.
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