Defaye: Pair Of 18th Century Travel Knives In Gold, Steel & Composition. Louis XVI. 18th Century Knife

Superb pair of travel knives dating from the 18th century.

The handles are made of black composition speckled with red and yellow, imitating hard stone.
They are adorned with yellow and green gold front and back bolsters, adorned with scrolls and foliage.

The first knife has a hallmarked gold blade:
. Barely visible goldsmith's mark
. Charge mark: A in a circle, for Paris, used from 1789 to 1792
. Discharge mark for the same period: oak leaf
. Jurande mark: crowned P with the year 1788 for the year 1788-1789

These hallmarks allow the knives to be dated between February 23, 1789 (charge mark) and September 11, 1789 (crossing out the P88 mark).

The second knife has a steel blade bearing the signature of the cutler Defaye and his trademark: a sheaf of wheat.
This knife is by Jean-Baptiste Defaye, whose production is rare. Knives from his production, with gold handles, are preserved at the Louvre Museum (inv. OA 9629).

Superb pair of travel knives made from precious materials, a beautiful testament to the art of living and the art of the table under the Ancien Régime.

19 cm long

44.44 grams
24.24 grams for the knife with the gold blade alone.

Very good condition. Micro-scratches from use. Very slight cracks on the handle of the knife with the steel blade, visible in raking light. Slight bending of the gold tip.

Hand delivery in Paris or insured Colissimo shipping.

France: €20
Europe: €25
World: €40