18 Silver Knives , Reeds And Ribbons , 1890-1910, Brussels

Magnificent series of 18 table knives in solid silver with stainless steel blades from the workshop of Van Regemorter in Brussels. They date from the period 1890-1910 and are still in their original case. The "crossed ribbons" motif is an interesting neoclassical decoration that appears in several eras of art history. It finds its origin in classical antiquity where it is found in the "fasces lictoriae" or bundles of lictor which were carried before certain high Roman magistrates to symbolize their power. They consisted of a bundle of birch sticks surrounding an ax. At the end of the eighteenth century, this symbol will be used in the signs of power in several new republics such as France (covered with a Phrygian cap) or the United States.