Knife-and-Fork Set

Description Personal cutlery sets in luxurious materials were frequently presented as wedding gifts. In the 17th century, forks were just beginning to become common, and members of the elite all had their own utensils. Ivory was a popular material for such sets, as was the motif of intertwining animals in an aristocratic culture devoted to the hunt. Though functional, such finely crafted sets might be reserved for display, as they were in the royal collection in Copenhagen. The blade is made by a different craftsman, marked "Berger," who is otherwise unidentified.

Provenance Léon Gruel, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1929, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Inscriptions Berger

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1929