{11 French Antique 1863 Christofle 4 Boules Knife Rests}

Here I can show you some true antique French Christofle knife rests. They date from 1863 and are called '4 Boules'. There were 11 of them available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.  An elegant way for protecting your fine table linens from getting soiled. These elegant French knife rests will for sure be an asset to a fine table setting for that special event. On December 2nd I have added another set of 8, see photo below others.

Image via Wikipedia (click link for sharper view).

Dine in style with something that was designed and made by Charles Christofle. Poor Charles died at the age of 58, only 5 years after Emperor Napoleon III appointed Charles Christofle official purveyor to the court.

Table Setting is with Seltmann Weiden Mirabell china and my Gero Zilmeta Menuet 528 flatware on a linen tablecloth with roses.

This Table Setting was on the balcony, al fresco.

Here you see all 11 knife rests together. Incredible beauties considering their age.

This image gives you a good idea about the '4 boules' pattern.

This is the 8 piece set of the same, with exact same antique hall marks!

This '4 boules' pattern is shown at the very top to the left on this antique catalog page.

 You can see the two hall marks on the knife rests.

 Here is a closeup of the hall marks.

 On my antique Christofle sugar sifter from 1862, the exact same hall mark is shown here. It is a lot easier to capture off a flat item.

The French Ministère de la Culture does show here the very same Christofle 4 boules knife rests at the musée Condé as being from 1863. You can click on the hyperlink for going there.

 It is very rare for finding such antique pieces. Only at Sur La Table I have seen such treasures. Usually they are snatched up very fast!

Sorry Sold out...

 My favorite book about Christofle (Memoire) by David Rosenberg.

  

Indeed, Christofle is still a symbol of luxury and elegance. Since its founding in the mid-19th century. Today as in the past, it has been gracing the tables of emperors, princes, or maharajas, in palaces, on board the Trans-Siberian Railway, Orient Express, or transatlantic ocean liners, or in contemporary restaurants, Christofle continues to make an impression. This great book is available at Amazon.com.

Related articles

• {Victoria Magazine: Knife Rests Old and New} | previous post by me
• {12 Vintage 1930s French Christofle Coquille Regence Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {2nd half of 19th Century Antique Christofle Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} | previous post by me
• {6 Antique French Christofle Coquille Knife Rests} | previous post by me
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{12 Vintage 1930s French Christofle Coquille Regence Knife Rests}

Adding one more rare set of vintage French Christofle knife rests in the 1930s Coquille Regence pattern. These fine pieces do bear the Gallia hall mark. Gallia is the name of an old collection created by Christofle in 1900. These knife rests however are from the 1930s following the goat hall mark from that era. They were available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.

Shown here on a Le Jacquard Français placemat with the French Gien Rose china and my Gero Zilmeta Menuet 528 flatware.

Closeup from the knife rest.

Detail photo.

All 12 together on a Le Jacquard Français placemat.

They could use some thorough polishing as certain areas have accumulated some dirt since the 1930s.

I do leave that up to the buyer.

Detail from the Coquille Regence pattern from the top.

The Gallia hall mark by Christofle with a goat, which indicates they are from the 1930s.

Sorry Sold out...

In 1898 Christofle started to equip Le Ritz in Paris with the Gallia collection.

Read in the French Christofle CHRONOLOGIE, click on the year.

Interesting book about Christofle by David Rosenberg.

Indeed, Christofle is still a symbol of luxury and elegance. Since its founding in the mid-19th century. Today as in the past, it has been gracing the tables of emperors, princes, or maharajas, in palaces, on board the Trans-Siberian Railway, Orient Express, or transatlantic ocean liners, or in contemporary restaurants, Christofle continues to make an impression. This great book is available at Amazon.com.

Related articles

• {6 Antique French Christofle Coquille Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {2nd half of 19th Century Antique Christofle Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {Victoria Magazine: Knife Rests Old and New} | previous post by me
• {6691 Filets - 10 Antique French Christofle Knife Rests} | previous post by me

{2nd half of 19th Century Antique Christofle Knife Rests}

Offering you this time some very rare and excellent antique Christofle knife rests with 4 balls and circle in the center. They are dating from the 2nd half of the 19th century and have the exact same silver mark as the 1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon' which I posted on August 11. Both markings do show the initials C C for Charles Christofle surrounding the image of a scale and a bee below, surmounted by two stars.  Poor Charles died at the age of 58, only 5 years after Emperor Napoleon III appointed Charles Christofle official purveyor to the court. You can read about the Christofle HERITAGE. These rare Christofle knife rests were again available at  my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.

Table setting here with my French Gien Rose earthenware. This is sometimes available at  Replacements Ltd. Gien France has been producing faience for almost 200 years. Read more info about this very special earthenware: Gien France. Le Jacquard Français tablecloth and again my own flatware from Gero Zilmeta Menuet 528.

 This photo shows a detail of the 4 balls, like ball feet and also the circle in the center.

 Another detail.

 There is a set of six available in this antique pattern.

Sorry Sold out...

 As well as a set of four; together ten, if needed.

Sorry Sold out...

 A closeup of the silver plate hall mark.

 Detail from my 1862 Sugar Sifter Spoon with the very same hall mark but now more visible. It is very hard to capture a closeup next to those protruding balls... You now can see the initials C C and the scale with a bee below and surmounted by two stars. Clearly the 2nd half of the 19th century hall mark.

My Christofle book by David Rosenberg

Indeed, Christofle is still a symbol of luxury and elegance. Since its founding in the mid-19th century. Today as in the past, it has been gracing the tables of emperors, princes, or maharajas, in palaces, on board the Trans-Siberian Railway, Orient Express, or transatlantic ocean liners, or in contemporary restaurants, Christofle continues to make an impression. This great book is available at: Amazon.com.

  

Related articles

• {1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} | previous post by me
• {6 Antique French Christofle Coquille Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {6691 Filets - 10 Antique French Christofle Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {Victoria Magazine: Knife Rests Old and New} | previous post by me

{6 Antique French Christofle Coquille Knife Rests}

On March 1, of this year I did post 6 Antique French Christofle Coquille Knife Rests in Box. You remember, that was the article that got 'stolen' and published in the Herald Dispatch. The article has been removed though! LOOK: My Christofle Photo was published in The Herald-Dispatch. The good thing is that this set, complete in a box, did sell pretty soon. So this time I can offer you the very same but not in a box. These were aailable at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.

            This is the photo from my March 1st post.

 Here is the set of six, in perfect shape and ready for adoption.

 The Coquille pattern is a lovely one. Only a little cleaning and they're as pretty as ever.

 On my French Gien Rose plate.

 In use with some real knives, on Jacquared Français table linens.

Its top part almost resembles a feisty Yorkshire Terrier's face...

The Christofle mark.

Sorry Sold out...

And again, WHO knows if this was not at the tables of 'Le Ritz in Paris'...?

Get ready for the Holiday Season yourself and dine at home in great style with romance and elegance.

If you click my previous post, you also find the book about Christofle shown at the bottom.

Merci!

Related articles

• {6691 Filets - 10 Antique French Christofle Knife Rests} | previous post by me
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• Tea with Elizabeth and Lady Carlye (High Heeled Life blog mentioning my 6 Christofle Coquille Knife Rests)

{Victoria Magazine: Knife Rests Old and New}

From my favorite Victoria Magazine I had saved these two pages that I love to share with you. Some readers have indicated as never having seen knife rests before. Well, they have been around for quite a while. For your convenience I will re-type the text here below the images. For sale at my: Spectrenoir you can view several silver plated French knife rests from Christofle. Replacements Ltd. does have some crystal ones from Lalique, France and such.

Polished and Gleaming

Knife Rests Old and New

Amid the cruets and crystal on  a formal table, every proper Victorian hostess would have

set out—to the right of each place—a gleaming knife rest: an artful little bar that handily

propped up knives to keep the tablecloth spotless. Rendered in such rich materials as cut

glass, silver, and bone, rests came in a wonderful array of elegant and whimsical shapes.

Whether newly minted or antique (now the province of collectors round the world), these

charming accessories can still add a note of festivity to any well-appointed table.

PHOTOGRAPHS STARR OCKENGA

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS SUZY TAYLOR, LESLIE VALENTINE

Among French novelist Marcl Proust's recollections is one of a darkened dining room where

knife rests of prismatic glass cast "a multicolored fire as beautiful as the windows of Chartres."

Although knife rests came into use as table manners evolved in the 18th century, it was not

until nearly a century later that most middle-class families had two sets, one for the carving

utensils and another for the table. All the household catalogs offered them,

from Montgomery Ward to Harrod's.

Antiques, above left (top photo), from the collection of Uly Thompson, range from a Britannia

and silver-plate rest for a carving set (top), to a butter-knife rest with its own knife (bottom top

 photo), which came as a set of four nestled in its own velvet-lined case—a real find. Says Uly,

"I have a particular soft spot for those with figures perched at each end, such as the soldier

and sailor playing tug-of-war, which is extremely rare."

Contemporary choices, above, are no less captivating—witness Waterford's heart-shaped

crystal rest with cake knife and Saint Louis's four-bubble rendering. Traditional designs are

captured by Saint Louis in a thistle pattern, that dates back 120 years.

Daum's mimosas recall the rare colored-glass examples of the 19th century,

while Yamazaki's gold-plated version with inlay (center) doubles card holder,

a design that would undoubtedly have delighted the Victorians.

Antique linens, Fabric of Society.

♥♥

I certainly feel proud for being able to offer you several French knife rests sets from Christofle in my Zen Cart powered on line Boutique.

Artedona is also still selling sets of four silver plated knife rests "Vertigo"

{6691 Filets - 10 Antique French Christofle Knife Rests}

A very rare antique set of 10 Christofle knife rests in the 6691 'Filets' pattern from an antique catalog of 1883 - 1891. They are not even available at Replacements Ltd. at present.

'Prestigious commissions from royalty and heads of state, including King Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III, and the supply of silver for grand hotels, ocean liners, trains and airlines bear witness to the house's success and reputation. The most respected French and European museums have pieces by Christofle in their permanent collections'. From the Christofle Heritage.

So, if you cannot vacation on such a luxury ocean liner, or on the Orient Express nor stay at grand hotels; there is still a chance for creating that romantic touch inside your own home! Just click to go to my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.  hall mark and further info, scroll down.

This Table Setting is with the blue plates from Société Céramique Maestricht, in the Boerenhoeve pattern. Of course Boerenhoeve is Dutch for Farmstead and this is transfer ware from the 1930s.

Plate Chargers are Pillivuyt in the Sancerre pattern, available at Replacements Ltd. The Flatware is by Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet. Napkin in ton-sur-ton is by Le Jacquard Français.

This is how the knives from first course and main course are rested upon this knife rest...

Cutting edge of knives, always facing towards the plate!

9 out of 10 do have this antique Christofle hall mark with CC two scales, 4 stars above and bee below with a kind of palm branches.

1 out of 10 has this newer hall mark from after 1935

To the left you see the item number 6691 'Filets' from the second Christofle Catalog.

Sorry Sold out...
There are a few others left for sale at Spectrenoir.