Antiquary & Expert CNES

An elegant set of three antique knives with hand-painted soft-paste porcelain handles, attributed to the prestigious Saint-Cloud factory, active in the early 18th century.

The sleeves feature a refined polychrome chinoiserie design, typical of the Orientalist fashion that captivated European courts from the end of Louis XIV's reign. They depict figures in exotic costumes, stylized pagodas, and a vegetal motif delicately enhanced with blue, manganese, yellow, and turquoise.

The wrought iron blades are secured by a silver ferrule. One of them bears a "crowned A" hallmark, typical of an 18th-century French master cutler, likely active in major cutlery centers like Langres or Thiers. This hallmark authenticates the craftsmanship of the blades and their perfect chronological match with the handles.

set rare and refined, emblematic of the beginnings of French soft-paste porcelain and the taste for chinoiserie during the Regency period. Objects at the crossroads of tableware, cutlery, and ceramics.