French Cutlery Barrel

The design of this barrel cased campaign cutlery set was favoured by the good European makers and other French and Austrian silver sets are known.

The red leather barrel hinges in half to open and a silver beaker, containing a leather and papier mache tub fitting to take the implements etc., sits in the bottom section. The set consists of a fork, spoon, two bladed knife, teaspoon, ivory two section condiment tower and would originally have also had a peg and worm corkscrew. The cutlery are silver with the fork and spoon having ivory handles and steel hinges for added strength. All except the knife are stamped with the French Paris mark for first standard used after 1838. There are also additional maker's marks which appear to be a horned beetle and on the bottom of the beaker a serpent with the initials 'S' and 'R' in a diamond. The knife is very decorative with a mother of pearl handle and all the silver parts are heavily pattern engraved. The silver blade would have been used for fruit whilst its steel blade would have been for meat. The quality of this set is good and it would have been an expensive set to buy when first made Second quarter 19th century.

Barrel size is given.