Knife

Object Name:

Knife

Object ID:

1946.018.25.1

Place of Origin:

Munich, Germany (Bavaria)

Date:

circa 1790

Description:

Knife. Silver and steel. Silver handle having oval cross-section, flat end and reeded surface. Handle tapers to moldings at juncture with flat, steel blade having rounded end. Maltese cross engraved on end of handle. Impressed cutler's mark on blade: "SUMMERS". Small impressed mark on reverse of handle moldings, near juncture with blade, seems to be top portion of a Munich inspection mark.

Material:

Metal
Silver
Steel

Dimensions:

W-0.875 L-10.5 D-1 inches

Provenance:

Probably belonged to Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1753-1814), who spent the years 1772-74 in Concord, NH, but was living in Munich c. 1784-1798. A spoon and a fork (.2-.3), which are part of the same loan, have the Munich inspection mark for the years 1791 and 1789. These pieces descended through the adopted daughter of Countess Rumford, Emma Gannell. She was grandmother of the lender.

Credit Line:

The Edwin G. Burgum Collection

People:

Rumford, Emma (1826-1923), Burgum, Emma (1826-1923), Gannell, Emma (1826-1923), Thompson, Benjamin (1753-1814), Thompson, Sarah (1774-1852), Rumford, Countess, Burgum, Edwin Gannell (1858-1948)