Pocket knife by John Yeomans Cowlishaw, 1861.

A particularly elegant mid-Victorian folding fruit knife, made in Sheffield by the noted cutler and silversmith John Yeomans Cowlishaw, with a sterling silver blade and finely carved mother-of-pearl handle.

Made in 1861, the knife is characteristic of the refined personal cutlery carried during the Victorian period. Before stainless steel became available, silver was especially well suited to fruit knives as it resisted the staining and corrosion caused by acidic fruit.

The slender folding blade is struck with a full series of English silver hallmarks, including the Birmingham mark, lion passant for sterling silver, date letter and the maker's JYC mark for John Yeomans Cowlishaw. Cowlishaw registered a silver mark in 1854 and became particularly associated with high-quality silver-bladed pocket fruit knives.

The handle is formed from mother-of-pearl, carved into an unusually architectural, shaped outline with scrolling cusps and pointed terminals. A vacant silver cartouche is inset to the front, while the exposed backspring is decorated with fine geometric and linear engraving. The natural variations and iridescence of the pearl give the otherwise restrained design considerable character.

The combination of an early date, distinctive shaped pearl scales and clearly struck maker's marks makes this a particularly attractive example of the Victorian Sheffield pocket-knife tradition.

Maker: John Yeomans Cowlishaw
Origin: Birminghamd, England
Date: 1861
Period: Victorian
Materials: Sterling silver and mother-of-pearl
Length: Approximately 13.5 cm open
Form: Folding pocket fruit knife

The knife is in excellent condition, especially noteable for a piece made more than 160 years ago. Please refer to the photographs for a detailed assessment of condition.