19th-Century French Figural Silverplate Paper Knife with Classical Motifs
Regular price $65.00A richly detailed 19th-century French paper knife, cast in silverplate and decorated in high relief with classical and mythological motifs. The blade is adorned with a dynamic hunting scene—figures of hounds and deer in motion—set against a textured background resembling carved wood or bark, a style that became popular in France during the mid-to-late 1800s.
The handle carries additional neoclassical ornament, including a fluted shaft, acanthus leaf flourishes, and a stylized mask at the terminal. These elements reflect the influence of Classical Revival design, which dominated French decorative arts throughout the Second Empire and early Belle Époque periods.
Elegant and tactile, this paper knife would have originally been kept on a gentleman’s desk or in a well-appointed library, used for opening correspondence while also serving as a decorative object of status and taste.
