Paper knife, silver-plated brass blade, stag horn handle with dachshund dog head, Lyon, France 1890.

Lyon, France 1890.

The letter opener or paper knife was originally used to cut the pages of hand-printed books, where the folding of printed sheets created closed edges that required cutting the paper before reading. Its use gradually shifted to opening envelopes. This example is made of three parts. The cutting edge is made of silver-plated brass, attached to a stag horn handle. At the end of the handle, a particularly refined and intense three-dimensional brass head of a dachshund is depicted. The blade is engraved: Moniteur Judiciaire, Lyon, 19 November 1890. At the bottom, engraved flowers are depicted, while the band features engraved leaves. Lyon, France 1890.

2,5” – 6 CM H 11,5” – 29 CM L 3,5 “ – 9 CM D

REF: M6233