Knife
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain, steel
Dimensions
Knives L. 8 in. (20.3 cm.), Forks L. 7-1/8 in. (18.1 cm.)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.1649
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 18th-century Viennese dining with this exquisite set of knives and forks from the Innocentius Du Paquier, circa 1730. Crafted at the Vienna Porcelain Manactory—Europe's second producer of true hard-paste porcelain after Meissen—these pieces feature delicate porcelain handles paired with sturdy steel blades. Measuring 8 inches for the knives and about 7 inches for the, they exemplify the fusion of functionality and fine art in European decorative arts. Hard-paste porcelain, fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and translucency, marked a technical...
About the Artist
Claudius Innocentius Du Paquier period|Vienna ( |Austrian) · |1718 – |1744
|1718–1744