COMMENT. The presented item is a so-called paper knife, which could be used as a letter opener, a bookmark and a page turner. It is carved from ivory with a handle in the shape of an elephant standing on an elaborate pedestal. Such "knives" are characteristic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were produced in India and supplied by the British East India Company to the western market as expensive exotic but quite functional souvenirs. The presented example has not so much practical as decorative value, since it is twice as large as the standard proportions of such "knives".
A paper knife
Number
7532
Origin
India
Time
Late 19th or early 20th century
Technique
Carving
Material
Ivory
Dimensions