Knife
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Running along the edge of the handle is Jesus’ family tree, known as the Tree of Jesse, which links him to King David, to the town of Bethlehem, and to Isaiah’s prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. The other images connect events from Jesus’ life to Hebrew Scripture, above all the Last Supper, in which Jesus gave bread and wine to his followers, with the priest Melchizedek serving bread and wine to Abraham (Genesis 14:18).
The inscription—"Happiness is without end; faithfulness my whole life long"—suggests that the knife was made in celebration of a wedding.
The inscription—"Happiness is without end; faithfulness my whole life long"—suggests that the knife was made in celebration of a wedding.
Artwork Details
- Title: Knife
- Date: early 16th century
- Culture: Netherlandish
- Medium: Boxwood, steel, and silver
- Dimensions: Overall: 17 1/2 × 2 1/4 × 1 3/8 in. (44.5 × 5.7 × 3.5 cm)
Handle only: 4 3/8 × 1 3/4 × 1 3/8 in. (11.1 × 4.4 × 3.5 cm) - Classification: Sculpture-Miniature-Wood
- Credit Line: Musée du Louvre, Département des Objets d’art, Paris (OA 5611)
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters