The Most Joyous Tribe of Antique Cutlery Rests Designed by Benjamin Rabier

THE STORY - Many years ago on a trip to see my dear friend in France I was introduced to the joy of Cutlery Rests, not only are they practical and at the same time decorative but they made each meal feel so very special. On return I found some for myself which I will never sell, but I am always on the look out for ones that 'turn my head and make my heart miss a beat' and this little set of six, certainly did that when they came up at my local Auction House. These six cutlery rests although comprising of four different designs quite clearly come from the same set, there are monkeys embarked in a game of Tug of War, Elephants with their Trunks Entwined, Pelicans standing Beak to Beak and three sets of a Pair of Hens, Head to Head examining a tiny Snail on the ground beneath them, they are simply joyous. The cutler rests are heavy and I am pretty certain they are made from Pewter which I think was originally silver plated, they each carry on the bottom the marks of SOFA and ARGIT, SOFA or Société Francis d'Orfevrerie d'Art, I believe was a French Silversmiths who were active in the 1920s, registered to an address of 7 Rue Crillon in Paris. And when I researched these knife rests I found myself not being surprised that they were designed by Benjamin Rabier (1864-1939) who was a French illustrator and animator who most famously created the logo for the famous French brand of cheese of the same name. The moulding of each cutlery rest is so detailed and fine and each design has its own little comic nod, indeed I did find it difficult to choose photos for this listing. There is no box for these knife rests, but for some reason this has ignited my imagination as I love the idea of the owner of these knife rests going into the shop in Rue Crillon in the 1920s and picking out like sweets the six designs they wanted to buy.

AGE - Circa 1920s

CONDITION - Each of the Cutlery Rests are in good condition, but there is a sense of softness to the shine on the rests as the plate has obviously worn over the years, which I have to say I love as it is a sign of time passed. The top of the monkeys outstretched arms is quite flat I am unsure whether this is due to wear or is the design and on the Elephants rest on the bridge that attach them there is some marking at the centre at either side, which can best be seen in the 4th photo, again I am not sure if it has always been there.

DIMENSIONS (Approx) - Hens - Length 3&1/4" / 8.5cm, Height 1" / 2.75cm, Depth 3/4" / 2cm, Monkeys - Length 3&1/4" / 8.5cm, Height 1" / 2.75cm, Depth 3/4" / 2cm, Elephants - Length 3&1/2" / 9cm, Height 1" / 2.75cm, Depth 5/8" / 2.25cm, Pelicans 3&5/8" / 9.25cm, Height 1" / 2.75cm, Depth 3/4" / 2cm

So there is my little Tribe of Cutlery Rests, I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't bring joy around any table they were laid, but I also think they are so decorative they would look great wherever they were put, in fact my knife rests permanently decorate the top of a chest of drawers. But most of all I marvel at the comic wonder of each design and just how beautifully each design has been produced. I think it is fair to say these are not your average set of Cutlery Rests.