The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 24, 2025

Knife Handle (manche de couteau)

c. 1710–1730
made by

Saint Cloud Porcelain Factory

(French)
France, Saint Cloud, early 18th Century
soft-paste porcelain, steel blade
Overall: 19.1 cm (7 1/2 in.)
The Norweb Collection 1964.511
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The Saint-Cloud porcelain factory was the first successful European manufacturer of soft-paste porcelain, a slightly off-white product that attempted to emulate the prized hard-paste porcelain produced by China and Japan.

Description

Prior to the 18th century, personal flatware was produced in expensive materials as a luxury item that communicated wealth and status. Porcelain handles were introduced at the beginning of the 18th century, likely by the Saint-Cloud factory. This handle is decorated with a pattern in underglaze blue inspired by porcelain imported from China and has been fitted to a steel blade.
  • R. Henry Norweb, Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Dawson, Aileen. A Catalogue of French Porcelain in the British Museum. London: British Museum Press, 1994. p. 20-21, no. 20
    Lahaussois, Christine. Porcelaines de Saint-Cloud. Paris: Union centrale des arts décoratifs, 1997. p. 150-52
  • CMA, October 18, 1994 - Febraury 19, 1995: "From Hand to Mouth: A History of Flatware," Gallery 102, no catalog.
    CMA, 1965, "Year in Review 1965." Bull., LII (Nov. 1965), p. 153, cat. #57
    Year in Review: 1965. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27-November 14, 1965).
  • {{cite web|title=Knife Handle (manche de couteau)|url=false|author=Saint Cloud Porcelain Factory|year=c. 1710–1730|access-date=24 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1964.511