Twelve knives 1785 - 1799

These twelve knives were crafted by I.S. in Sheffield, a city synonymous with steel production, and now reside in the Met's collection. A seemingly simple utensil, the knife speaks volumes about social structures and the rise of industrialism. Sheffield's dominance in cutlery during the industrial revolution owes itself to the factory system. This allowed for specialized labor and mass production, making items like these knives more accessible to a growing middle class. The elegant design, however, hints at an older world of craft production and suggests aspirations to gentility. One can imagine a dinner setting within a bourgeois household that would have used it. Understanding this object requires research into Sheffield's industrial history, the cutlery trade, and the social history of dining practices. The very presence of these knives in a museum setting transforms them from everyday objects into artifacts of a bygone era.