Revolutionary Knife, Called Pallois
Artist: Pierre‑françois Palloy
"Bastille Grenadier" - Carved Ivory and Engraved Scale - Paris, Late 18th Century
Exceptional and spectacular figurative folding knife from the late 18th century, representing a revolutionary grenadier carved in ivory, probably made in Paris in the context of the patriotic productions that followed the capture of the Bastille in 1789.
The mount is entirely designed in the form of a standing military figure. The head, finely carved in ivory, features a grenadier wearing a stylized helmet. The face, treated in profile with great size finesse, has an aquiline nose, an assertive chin and a hair finished with a double ball catogan characteristic of the military hairstyles of the late 18th century.
The neck is decorated with a large radiant collar also carved in ivory, forming an elegant transition between the head and the body of the character.
The torso consists of a beautiful blonde and brown scale plate, carefully adjusted in a metal frame and engraved with a stylized military saber. This patriotic iconography clearly evokes the universe of the militias and volunteers of the Revolution. The scale is fixed by several oval silver rivets arranged symmetrically.
The legs of the character, also in ivory, are articulated and connected to the body by metal axes. They end with stylized shoes forming the end of the handle when the knife is closed. This anthropomorphic construction is one of the most remarkable characteristics of these revolutionary figurative knives.
The large blade, made of forged steel, folds into the body of the character thanks to a robust spring mechanism typical of cutlery at the end of the 18th century.
By its iconography and the nature of its materials - carved ivory, engraved scale and metal frame - this knife is part of the tradition of patriotic objects produced in Paris in the years following the fall of the Bastille. After 1789, the entrepreneur Pierre-François Palloy, in charge of the demolition of the fortress, had many revolutionary memories made and disseminated to commemorate this founding event.
By its construction combining carved ivory, engraved scale and metal frame, this object evokes the work of Parisian tablet workers active around the Palais-Royal, a neighborhood then famous for the manufacture of luxury objects and patriotic curiosities related to the events of the French Revolution.
Figurative knives representing soldiers or armed citizens are among the rarest creations of this set of commemorative objects. Large specimens like this one very rarely appear on the market and are today particularly sought after testimonies of Parisian craftsmanship at the time of the Revolution.
By its impressive size, the quality of its sculpture and its revolutionary iconography, this copy is a remarkable showcase object and an exceptional testimony to the patriotic imagination of the late 18th century.
Dimensions: Closed length: about 33 cm Open length: about 60 cm
See only copy known in museum (last photo)
Exceptional and spectacular figurative folding knife from the late 18th century, representing a revolutionary grenadier carved in ivory, probably made in Paris in the context of the patriotic productions that followed the capture of the Bastille in 1789.
The mount is entirely designed in the form of a standing military figure. The head, finely carved in ivory, features a grenadier wearing a stylized helmet. The face, treated in profile with great size finesse, has an aquiline nose, an assertive chin and a hair finished with a double ball catogan characteristic of the military hairstyles of the late 18th century.
The neck is decorated with a large radiant collar also carved in ivory, forming an elegant transition between the head and the body of the character.
The torso consists of a beautiful blonde and brown scale plate, carefully adjusted in a metal frame and engraved with a stylized military saber. This patriotic iconography clearly evokes the universe of the militias and volunteers of the Revolution. The scale is fixed by several oval silver rivets arranged symmetrically.
The legs of the character, also in ivory, are articulated and connected to the body by metal axes. They end with stylized shoes forming the end of the handle when the knife is closed. This anthropomorphic construction is one of the most remarkable characteristics of these revolutionary figurative knives.
The large blade, made of forged steel, folds into the body of the character thanks to a robust spring mechanism typical of cutlery at the end of the 18th century.
By its iconography and the nature of its materials - carved ivory, engraved scale and metal frame - this knife is part of the tradition of patriotic objects produced in Paris in the years following the fall of the Bastille. After 1789, the entrepreneur Pierre-François Palloy, in charge of the demolition of the fortress, had many revolutionary memories made and disseminated to commemorate this founding event.
By its construction combining carved ivory, engraved scale and metal frame, this object evokes the work of Parisian tablet workers active around the Palais-Royal, a neighborhood then famous for the manufacture of luxury objects and patriotic curiosities related to the events of the French Revolution.
Figurative knives representing soldiers or armed citizens are among the rarest creations of this set of commemorative objects. Large specimens like this one very rarely appear on the market and are today particularly sought after testimonies of Parisian craftsmanship at the time of the Revolution.
By its impressive size, the quality of its sculpture and its revolutionary iconography, this copy is a remarkable showcase object and an exceptional testimony to the patriotic imagination of the late 18th century.
Dimensions: Closed length: about 33 cm Open length: about 60 cm
See only copy known in museum (last photo)
https://museelesecqdestournelles.fr/fr/oeuvres/couteau-revolutionnaire-dit-pallois
17 990 €
Period: 18th century
Style: Louis 16th, Directory
Condition: Good condition
Material: Other
Length: fermé 33 cm - ouvert + de 60 cm
Reference (ID): 1725400
Availability: In stock
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