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Knife Rests By Louise Gauthier What's a knife rest? Does anyone still use them? If you're a real antique store aficionado, you have probably come across these little dog bone shaped articles and wondered about them. But there's history everywhere, and knife rests have received very little attention in articles and books as compared to other utensils. Faïence knife rests were given even less consideration than those made of silver or glass. A brief history of these strange utensils reveals the when and why of knife rest conception, along with their etiquette and proper use. Keep reading for our exploration of Continental and occidental knife rest designs, forms, and materials, with multiple examples from Quimper and other French faïenceries. The Utensils The knife dates back to the dawn of time, and its evolution from a piece of chipped flint to the metal utensil that we know today has taken many thousands of years. Before the knife became a common part of table manners, people simply ate with their hands. In medieval times most people availed themselves of a trencher - a piece of stale bread to use as a plate - and often ate the bread as well as the food that was piled onto it. Men utilized their knives for hunting and for weaponry as well as for eating, although some manipulated two knives to spear and cut their food. In the Middle Ages, cutlery was not provided to dinner guests with their plates. Folding knives and spoons became part of a traveling kit attached to the belt of the privileged as something to brag about, and to defend against threats, even at the table. Indeed, it was not rare to see wine-fueled arguments breaking out among guests. Affluent males used their eating knives for cutting their own meals, and perhaps also the meals of nearby ladies. The bourgeois later kept the habit of carrying a pocketknife when they went to supper in town, and the cutlers of the day made beautiful folding knives. With the widespread appearance of the fork, table knives lost their sharp points and began to be made with a round end to differentiate their use from weaponry. French Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) detested the use of sharp knives as a means of scooping food from a table and the lack of manners of his Chancellor, one Chancellor Séguier, who picked his teeth with the point of his knife. At Richelieu’s instigation, a royal decree was issued to ban double-bladed knives with sharp points from the Court and the country. This gave birth to blunt-ended single bladed knives which soon became the norm. Another very important reason for round tipped knives was the early 19th century popularization of the curved four-tined forks which removed Vintage Antique Utica Cutlery the need for sharp tipped knives. The United States was one of NY 2-Blade traveler knife the last countries to embrace forks and blunt tipped knives. Photo: www.bing.com

When and why did the knife-rest appear in the Continental and occidental world? Even in the times of Henry VIII (1491-1547), knife rests were employed. Initially they were probably just a large set of rests to hold the carving utensils used by the head of the house or the manservant, in order to protect the table or the sideboard. In the late 17th century and early 18th century, the upper classes used their hands as well as one knife and fork per person for their meals, which often extended to several courses over a long period of time. A place to park their utensils was needed while the various dishes were cleared, and resting them on an object prevented them from staining the table or the tablecloth. The object could have been just a piece of bone or wood. But in the 18th century, one inventive unnamed individual designed what we now regard as a knife rest. Late 18th century pottery marks have been found. In the Georgian period (1714-1830- 37), the wealthy class who gave birth to the industrial revolution began using knife rests and provided a set for each guest at their dinner tables. Soon the idea of matching them to the tableware or the glassware became fashionable. Peace and wealth during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901) saw an increase in entertaining, with fancy meals and a corresponding popularity of knife rests. The Victorians took it a step further by creating rests in almost any material, format or pattern. Their predilection for ornamentation changed knife rests into à la mode little bibelots. No proper Victorian needed to be told, “Please place your knife here,” if they were to expect another invitation. People of a certain class knew this already. In the late 19th century, Victorian etiquette books point out that concerns about the tablecloth became superfluous since the knives’ handles now weighed more and kept the blades off the linen. In the middle of the 20th century, however, lighter handles such as plastic often replaced the heavy handles; and the blade was now heavier than the handle once more, thus jeopardizing the tablecloth again. During the 19th century, simpler conventions at the table and a diminution of service staff meant that small accessories such as the knife rest, the napkin ring, and the trivet helped to ease domestic life. But after World War I, the need for knife rests began to decline. This was in part due to the decrease in extravagant dining conventions and in part due to the decrease in household employees. Industrialization and the need to supply war workers decimated the ranks of household servants and made simplification in household arrangements necessary. In the continental world, knife rests were employed only through the first half of the 20th century, for the most part by the elite, which is unfortunate since tableware experts created real collector's items at that time.

Currently, hosts include knife rests in their place settings for special parties and holiday dinners such as Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve, with no intention to preserve the tablecloth. They have another function: a symbolic one. Knife rests send the message that this dinner is a significant affair, a celebration. If the custom of using knife rests persists in modern times at all, their artistic creativity and fanciful design is the reason. Nowadays they are mainly purchased as objects of collection in antique stores, garage sales, flea markets or on internet sites. A Knife Rests Collector’s Club existed from 1996-2002. Its newsletters can be found at the Rakow Research Library of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, USA. Chopstick rests in Asia were utilized for a longer period of time and still remain a daily part of the place setting. Chopsticks rests Photo: Louise Gauthier Knife rests etiquette Occidental and continental table etiquette for various occasions exists today. Good table manners encompass several diverse subjects: handling of the knife and fork, the elbows on the table, closing the mouth while eating, leaning, staring, and overpraising of the food or being too loud, among many other customs. These points of etiquette bring structure and consistency to the meals. Although the knife rest may have been important at the beginning for saving the tablecloth, its appearance enhanced the development of proper behavior and etiquette at the dining table. In the 19th century, an American behavioral expert mentioned that it takes three generations to acquire acceptable table manners. In that same time period, numerous etiquette books were published, including the Book of Household Management (1861) by Mrs. Beeton, the domestic goddess of her time. In the 20th century, the American leading expert Emily Post wrote Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home (1922). The Emily Post Institute, a family business spanning five generations, still offers training and advice on all kinds of etiquette, whether it is tips on toasting or eating corn on the cob. To answer the question of where the knife rest should be placed in a place setting, first let us mention that the clean unused table knife should never be placed on the rest, but to the right of the plate with the blade facing the plate. The knife is only placed on the rest once it has been used during the meal.

The position of the knife rest is also on the right of the plate, at the top end of the large table knife and perpendicular to the blade, ready to be used. After a perusal of numerous books on etiquette and internet sites, only once was a knife rest shown that was used for a butter knife. This rest was placed on the left of the plate. Also, H. Spencer Churchill places the rest on the right side for the cheese knife. Formal place setting with knife rest Photo: Serge Gauthier Informal place setting with knife rest Photo: Louise Gauthier In today’s usage, contrary to prevailing belief, knife rests should not be considered in formal meals. Their role, saving the tablecloth, implies that the host does not intend to change the tablecloth for the next meal. Yet nowadays for a formal dinner, the tablecloth is always used once. Cutlery is often replaced between dishes as well, so there is again no need for knife rests. The formal appearance of a knife rest suggests a contradiction here. Knife rests should be in fact an accessory reserved for intimate receptions with friends or regular meals where cutlery is not changed and the tablecloth will serve again. Actually, we could contemplate using them daily as is the custom in Asia. In the Western world, chopsticks are utilized regularly for eating sushi, a bowl of rice or noodles. When laying out a standard table arrangement, the chopsticks should be put horizontally on top of the plate, never on the table. The chopstick rests are placed to the right side of the plate. Correct disposition of tableware has varied across societies and eras. With the passage of time, table setting codes have evolved and with it the function of knife rests. In 2003, the word “tablescaping” appeared and was called an art. It relates to laying the table like a theatrical mise en scene, an escape from daily life towards a dream fantasy world.

Designs and forms As a table accessory, the knife rest brings elegance, refinement and practicality to the meals. Sets of up to 16 knife rests were often presented in soft fabric lined cases. These sets came in many various designs, some which matched the owner’s tableware, some which might illustrate the theme of the dinner being given, and some which depicted the owner’s special interests. The English designs present a more classic style and were created by renowned companies like Davenport, Wedgwood and Coalport, while the French ones, called porte- couteaux or repose-couteaux, were often more amusing and were produced by some famous houses like Lalique and O. Gallia. The marks “WMF” for Germany and “Faberge” for Russia demonstrate the luxury associated with knife rests at one point in time. Knife rest Hunter KN164, Sabino Crystal Company Photo: Sabino Art Glass, Texas, USA Desvres knife rest. Photo: Arlene D. Rubin Desvres blue dog knife rest. Photo: Lucy Williams Desvres knife rest Photo: Patricia Hull Millicent Mali, in her Review on Special Forms, mentioned that in Germany, hosts began using figural decorations on their tables to entertain their guests between courses during long dinners. In the second half of the 19th century, this practice was the incentive for factories like Desvres, Malicorne and Boulogne-sur-Mer to try and capture this new market by producing lots of new designs for the table, such as knife rests, salt dishes, and mustard pots.

The abilities of the craftsmen as well as the creativity and originality of the designers provided collectors with a wealth of forms. One can find knife rests in the shapes of animals, birds, vegetables, dumbbell type or with crosses at the end, geometric shapes, people (babies, children, or adults), bows, flowers, sports, etc. Pewter knife rests, Atelier Chaudron, Québec Ducks, Porcelain knife rests Photo: Louise Gauthier Photo: Louise Gauthier Gourdes, artist in Avignon (not signed) Asparagus, by Rose, artist in Avignon, (not Photo: Susan Cox signed) Photo: Susan Cox

Souvenir knife rests for tourists, such as the cute example below of a cat and a dog created for sale in Saint Jean-le-Thomas, a seaside resort in Normandy, were also popular. Mark : HD France (Henri Delcourt of Desvres floral dog souvenir knife rest, signed Boulogne-sur-Mer) Carcassonne underneath. Photo: Beverly Mar Photo: Lucy Williams Triangular knife rest signed "Tréguier" a HB Quimper, double knife rest, crown shape city in Côtes-d’Armor, Brittany. Photo: Lucy Williams Photo: Lucy Williams Size, of course, varied according to the forms and usages. Double rests for the knife and the fork appear occasionally. Larger knife rests exist for the carving instruments; one rest was placed on each side of the carving plate or board for the knife and the fork. Knife rests also demonstrate their helpfulness for kitchen use. Tupperware #1263 Apple Green Knife Rest Kitchen Gadget Photo: www.ebay.com

Materials Knife rests, sometimes called knife holders, can be found in many diverse materials, the most common of which are metal, glass, ceramics, ivory, mother-of-pearl, horn, bone, and semi- precious stones. In 1891, the United States Congress required imported foreign goods to identify their country of origin. This included knife rests of all materials. Marking could be done by engraving, stamping, writing, or paper stickers for example. Unfortunately for collectors, between cleaning and normal wear and age, these latter disappear easily. Metal Metal knife rests are encountered in gold, sterling, silver plate, brass, pewter, iron, copper, zinc and more. Their main advantages include durability, the potential for a myriad of cast figures, and (for collectors) the stamping of an identifiable hallmark on some items. England requires by law a mark showing the percentage of gold or silver in an object, called a hallmark. Although hallmarks go back for many centuries, hallmarks in silver or gold knife rests have been observed mainly from the George III period (1738-1820) forward. Besides the hallmark, metal rests can also be inscribed with initials or a heraldic design, and could be made in the same pattern as the cutlery. For these reasons, metal rests were favored in Europe by the privileged class. In the United States, knife rests in metal began to be fashionable around 1850. Christofle French Silverplate Set of 2 knife rests Photo: dalida44, eBay seller www.ebay.ca/itm/333299414870 Vintage Argit Art Deco Chrome Wild Boar Figural Knife Rest Photo: StumptownUSA

Vintage set of 11 French silverplate knife rests faux bois wood trunks Photo: dwalvick, eBay Glass Glass prevailed as the most preferred material for knife rests. These were produced both in cheap pressed glass and in expensive leaded crystal. Glass also offered a variety of colored, frosted, or opalescent finishes. Opalescent glass comes with a blue tinged milky color (Lalique, Sabino), or just with a milky white all over the piece or on the borders only. Generally, most glass knife rests were of the dumbbell shape; however, the designs and patterns of these rests were infinite. Vintage pair of cut lead crystal knife rests Glass Knife rests by House of Goebel, West Germany Photo: Louise Gauthier Photo: GypsySale at eBay In Britain, glass knife rests were seen as a minor object with negligible value and were therefore not signed, with the exception of the acid etched Waterford Crystal Company items from Ireland. European glass knife rests were made in Belgium, Sweden, and Germany.

French manufacturers such as Sèvres Crystal, Baccarat, Lalique, Sabino and Saint Louis generally marked their pieces by acid etching or engraving. To date, Saint Louis still produces glass knife rests. Sabino Glass was acquired by American interest in 1978 and the Sabino Art Glass, in the USA, still sells knife rests molded in the French factory before its closure. Opalescent Knife rest Squirrel KN99, Sabino Crystal Company Photo: Sabino Art Glass, Texas, USA In the USA, glass knife rests became part of the tableware during the so-called Brilliant Period of cut glass (1880-1915) when hosting with panache was at a peak. The brilliance came from the addition of lead oxide to the glass in various amounts, anywhere from 24% to 42%. Highly skilled cutters and polishers, usually immigrants, helped the glass houses rival their European competitors. Fine examples of signed crystal glass rests from Libbey, Hawkes, and Hoare now fetch high prices from collectors. Ceramics Due to the fact that the knife, fork, and spoon were now in common usage, the number of potteries in production in the last half of the 18th century was very great, with voluminous production. Ceramic knife rests, whether in porcelain-like fine bone china or in opaque pottery such as faïence or majolica, were produced in large amounts. Ceramic stoneware rests seem to be rare, but one set can be viewed on the website of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. Animals knife rests from Bavent Pottery in Normandy Photo: Doris Long Pottery was more popular than porcelain due to its cheaper cost. Like metal, ceramic knife rests can be molded in infinite designs and forms. Usually, decorating was done by hand or transfer. The company mark can be written, stamped, or impressed easily on these pieces.

In the early 19th century, English manufacturers, for example Davenport, Spode, Minton, Wedgwood, or Derby, usually produced a rectangular shape rest, often rounded on top, in cost effective pottery. There are fewer rests in porcelain or fine bone china in England from that period, mainly because sterling silver was often preferred by the host, which would show evidence of the host’s success and standing. Ceramic knife rests declined in the late Victorian age and were replaced in popularity by cut and pressed glass pieces. In Europe, ceramics houses were numerous - Sèvres, Dresden, Limoges, Berlin, and Baccarat, including the delftware, or tin-glazed pottery, made in the Netherlands and England. Meissen from Germany made elegant, signed rests. Today, Royal Copenhagen porcelain still offer a limited inventory of beautiful rests, signed with their trademark. Tranquebar Blue porcelain knife rests by Royal Copenhagen Photo: permission from anonymous online merchant / eBay seller. Antique Blue Onion porcelain knife rests by Meissen Photo: mdoutlet21, eBay seller

In America, there was almost no production of pottery knife rests until the end of the 19th century, since for nearly 100 years they had been imported from England and continental Europe. It seems only one ceramic pair of knife rests in fine porcelain is marked and identifiable to Charles Cartlidge of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY. This barbell shaped pair of rests is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of New-York. Dedham Pottery, an American art pottery company in Dedham, Massachusetts, operated between 1896 and 1943 and was known for its ceramic bunnies. Their high-fire stoneware can be recognized by a controlled and very fine crackle glaze with thick cobalt border designs. Pictured is an exquisite pair of rabbit knife rests courtesy of the Dedham Historical Society and Museum. Where would you put the knife? (Left) Pair of porcelain knife rests, attributed to Charles Cartlidge & Co., 1848-1856 Photo: Brooklynn Museum, NY, public domain. (Right) Pair of Dedham Pottery knife rests, 1930, 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches tall Photo: Private collection, Dedham, Massachusetts, courtesy Dedham Historical Society & Museum France dominated the knife rests market with the faïenceries of Rouen, Quimper and Moustiers. Knife rests from Brittany will be presented in the following section of the paper. Quimper knife rests As a group, knife rests from Brittany are not very prevalent in books on faience, in the Encyclopédie des Céramiques de Quimper, or indeed in most catalogs by merchants. HB, HR and Malicorne faïenceries have of course produced knife rests, but the variety of designs and forms is somewhat limited. We can find many knife rests with a cylindrical or triangular middle section, while the ends are often in the shape of dumbbells or triangles.

Knife rests, 19th century, attributed to AP (Adolphe Porquier), 2.5’’ wide. Photos: Diane Morton Unmarked Malicorne Photo: Patricia Hull Henriot Quimper triangular knife rests Photo: Louise Gauthier The rests are hand painted by proficient artists and are colorful and lovely. Sometimes a pochoir is used to transfer the original drawing. The most frequent designs display the Breton man and lady and/or the à la touche floral design with sprays/dots and geometric patterns. A broderie décor was seen on an internet sale site recently, as well as a pair of knife rests with a Basque woman and man.

Here are the three sides of one Henriot knife rest. Henriot Quimper, 105. Photos: William W. Fox (Above) Triangular Malicorne knife rests Photo : Lucy Williams (Right): HB Quimper cylindrical knife rests Photo: Susan Cox

HB Quimper, cylindrical knife rests, decor riche HB Quimper cylindrical knife rest Photo: Lucy Williams Photo: Diane Morton Fleur de lis triangular knife rests, HB Quimper Photo: Louise Gauthier Triangular knife rests, HB Photo: Susan Cox

These three wonderful knife rests by HB Quimper depict a Breton figural group wearing traditional costumes, with embroidered vests, white coiffe and sabots. HB Quimper, attributed to Fouillen HB Quimper Photo: Doris Long Photos: Diane Morton This photo of a Bretonne knife rest, also from HB, seems to be from the same mold if we look at the coiffe and position of the sabots. She is also lying on her stomach; however, she is less colorful than the figurative knife rests by Maillard. The Modern Movement knife rests by Charles Maillard for Henriot are well known and delightful. They featured Breton dressed ladies and men in different lying positions, for example, a man sleeping, a reclining sailor stretching, a sleeping woman with her head on her hands, or a lady lying on her stomach. Modern Movement knife rests, Henriot Quimper, C. Maillard Photo: Doris Long

Statuary artist Charles Maillard studied in Angers and Paris and is the recipient of numerous awards. His many sculptures and monuments can be found in museums such as the Museum of Art and History in Cholet, and also in several other towns. In the period between the two Great Wars, Maillard worked with the Henriot Pottery factory. The Breton theme appears in its designs of plates, bowls, candy boxes, pitchers, egg cups and of course knife rests. Henriot Quimper C. Maillard Left & Right: HB Quimper, F-M Caujan Photo: Doris Long Middle: Henriot Q, C. Maillard, signed "Coutainville" (city in Normandy) Photo: Doris Long Left: Attributed to the artist NIK Right: JH NOV Quimper (JH was used by Henriot for editions outside of Brittany) Photo: Doris Long We can also find some animal knife rests such as these shrimps by Maillard and these lions and rabbits by Malicorne. Faïenceries d'Art de Malicorne (signature F.A.M.)France Photos (above & below): Susan Cox Henriot Quimper, C. Maillard Photo: Doris Long

In her three books, faïence expert Ann Marie O’Neill presented several knife rests with a price guide. Here is her evaluation of the present market prices of some sample knife rests (KR). Fluctuations in price can depend on several variables: offer versus demand, overall condition of the knife rests, date of production, and time and place of sale. 5 KR, HB Quimper, circa: 1935, stripes and floral sprays 1994 - $160. 1998 - $200. 2022 - $20 each. 1 KR Henriot Quimper, C. Maillard, man lying on his back 1994 - $120. 1998- $150. 2000 - $200-225. 2022 - $65. 3 KR 19th century geometric décor (similar D. Morton photo), attributed to AP (Adolphe Porquier). 2000 - $60 each. 2022 - $45 each. Millicent Mali wrote in her Review La Cote de Quimper that a careful collector will give more consideration to the quality, glaze, and painting of the piece rather than the fabrication’s date when building a worthy collection. Her comment should be true as well for the values. Knife rests from different eras. Left: HR Quimper Right : Henriot Quimper France 692 Photo: Debbie Yonkers Conclusion I would like to thank the Quimper Club International members who sent pictures. Only one member mentioned using her knife rests occasionally; others mainly display them. This article does not pretend to tell you everything about knife rests since in fact little seems

to be known. Their origin and appearance are rarely documented as is the case with utensils. If you are interested in knowing more, you will find three books on knife rests in the reference list. This author consulted the book by Dean Rockwell. The Rest HB-Henriot Quimper France 477 (design C. Maillard) Photo: Debbie Yonkers Editor Nancy Duncan Layout Lucy Williams Acknowledgements Dedham Historical Society & Museum, Dedham, Massachusetts, USA Ann Marie O’Neill Sabino Art Glass, Texas, USA. Lucy Williams

Quimper Club International members: Susan Cox Will Fox Patricia Hull Doris Long Beverly Mar Quimper Club International members (cont): Diane Morton A. D. Rubin Lucy Williams Debbie Yonkers eBay sellers: Anonymous merchants dalida44 dwalvick GypsySale mdoutlet21 StumptownUSA References Heugel, Inès, Les Arts de la table français, Éditions du Chêne, Vanves, France,1998. Mali, Millicent, The Old Quimper Review, La Cote de Quimper, vol.XI, no 1,2000. Mali, Millicent, The Old Quimper Review, Special forms, vol.XII, no 1, 2001. Neas,Virginia and Sargent, Jim, Knife Rests, Glassy Mountain Press,1987, 87 pages. O’Neill, Ann Marie, Quimper Pottery with Price Guide, Schiffer Pub., Atglen, PA, 1994. O’Neill, Ann Marie, Quimper Pottery, Schiffer Pub., Atglen, PA, 1998.

O’Neill, Ann Marie, Popular Quimper, Schiffer Pub., Atglen, PA, 2000. Rockwell, Dean, Antiques Knife Rests, Proctor Publications, Michigan, USA, 2000, 78 pages. Spencer-Churchill, H., Classic Entertaining, Rizzoli International Publications, NY, 1999. Théallet Philippe, Verlingue, Bernard Jules, Enclyclopédie des céramiques de Quimper, Tome V, Éditions de la Reinette, Tours, France, 2007. Wakem, Paul and Jefferson, Richard, Cut & engraved glass through the eyes of knife rest collectors, Webster, NY., P. Wakem and R. Jefferson, 2005, 50 pages. https://apprendre-les-bonnes-manieres.com https://emilypost.com / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_rest www.knife-rests.co.uk