Knife 16th - 17th century

This knife, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was made of steel and silver by someone known only as RG. The forged steel blade, worn smooth over time, still bears the marks of its making. Meanwhile the handle presents a teeming bestiary of cast silver figures. It’s a wonderful combination of a purely functional blade, and a handle that has nothing to do with function. The knife's beauty lies in the contrast between these two elements. The labor is unevenly distributed. The blade, a result of hard work, sweat and heat, has been rendered by a utilitarian blacksmith. The handle, a product of careful modeling, delicate carving and casting in precious metal, has been made by a silversmith. In this meeting of two very different kinds of workmanship, we see the social order of labor, craft, and design literally in hand.