Silver WInged Devil Paper Knife, Castellani, circa 1843

Estimate

7,500 - 10,000 USD

bidding is closed

Description

Castellani

Designed by Michelangelo Caetani, the cast and engraved knife formed as a winged devil, the tail encircling his body, length approximately 9¾ inches.

Provenance

Messrs. Hancocks

Exhibited

Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry, The Bard Graduate Center, New York, November 2004-February 2005, p. 42, fig. 2-14. Also exhibited at Somerset House, London, May -September 2005 and Villa Giulia, Rome, November 2005-February 2006.

Literature

Geoffrey C. Munn, 'A Watchful Wait', The Antique Dealer and Collectors Guide, December 1987, pp. 40-41.

Catalogue Note

In his book, Castellani and Giuliano, Revivalist Jewellers of the 19th Century, Geoffrey Munn quotes from a letter written by one of Castellani's English customers, Harriet Countess Granville, to her brother, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, from Rome:

"The novelites here are now things made from designs by Michelangelo Caetani - there are leaf openers, one an angel, another a devil. Castellani makes them in silver a hundred francs each. "

Since the letter was written in January of 1843, when the firm was presided over by Fortunato Pio Castellani, it is presumed that the present knife was made around that time. Objects made by Fortunato Pio are extremely rare and only one piece , the Pax in Sant'Eligio degli Orefici in Rome, can be safely attributed to him. Of nielloed silver, the Pax is illustrated by Munn (ibid) pl. 16.

An illustration of a design for a winged devil paperknive, done by Michelangelo Caetani prior to 1860, is illustrated in the catalogue Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry, The Bard Graduate Center, p. 42, fig. 2-15.