Italian, Ferrarese, Late 15th Century, In the Manner of Ercole dei Fedeli (Ferrara circa 1465 - 1504/21)

Charles Buttin, Paris (1856-1931);

François Buttin, Paris;

Private Collection, Paris;

Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 5 December 1975, lot 7;

Michel Beurdeley, Paris (1912-2012);

Jacques Petithory, Paris;

Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 18 June 1993, lot 166.

F. Buttin, Catalogue de la collection d'armes anciennes europeennes et orientales de Charles Buttin, Rumilly 1933, p. 61, no. 174, illus. pl. IV and XVI.

The present elaborately adorned knife features a jasper handle, fine parcel-gilt and engraving on either side. The scenes depicted show a goat being sacrificed on one side and what appears to be a Roman army gathering on the other. Given the extravagant ornamentation, it is likely that this object was meant for ceremonial use.

The knife has been attributed to Ercole dei Fedeli, an Italian goldsmith who was active in the late 15th century. Fedeli is known to have been in the service of Eleanor of Naples, Duchess of Ferrara and Isabella d'Este, the wife of Francesco II Gonzaga. He was celebrated for his intricate and highly detailed engravings that adorned swords, knives and daggers. These engravings were characterized by the presence of architectural elements, accentuated joints of his figures, particularly those of the knees, and a sense of movement throughout the scene. The present engravings capture these elements: both scenes are filled with action and the characters bear a resemblance to those decorating the hilt of a cinquedea also believed to have been by Fedeli in the Royal Armouries, Leeds (accession number: IX.146).

Very few works known to be by Fedeli still exist today, but his influence can be observed on other decorative schemes adorning swords and blades from Ferrara, as demonstrated in the engraving embellishing another cinquedea in the Wallace Collection, London (accession number: A742).