Knife with a Handle with a Crowned Lion

anonymous, c. 1650 - c. 1700

De staande leeuw houdt een schild voor zich. Hierin is een glazen schijfje aangebracht, waarachter zich een stukje bladgoud bevindt.

  • Artwork typeknife
  • Object numberBK-KOG-1665
  • Dimensionslength 8.2 cm x width 1.2 cm x depth 2.1 cm (knife handle), length 20.2 cm (total)
  • Physical characteristicsboxwood, glass, gold leaf, steel (blade)

Discover more

more by anonymous

Bouquet of Flowers

anonymous, 1680-08

Bouquet of Flowers

Flowers

anonymous, c. 1700 - c. 1799

Flowers

Five Studies of Anemones

anonymous, c. 1760 - c. 1770

Five Studies of Anemones

Dolls’ house of Petronella Oortman

anonymous, c. 1686 - c. 1710

Dolls’ house of Petronella Oortman

Branch of flowering magnolia

anonymous, 1910 - 1925

Branch of flowering magnolia

Kimono

anonymous, 1910 - 1930

Kimono

Identification

  • Title(s)

    Knife with a Handle with a Crowned Lion

  • Object type

  • Object number

    BK-KOG-1665

  • Description

    De staande leeuw houdt een schild voor zich. Hierin is een glazen schijfje aangebracht, waarachter zich een stukje bladgoud bevindt.

  • Part of catalogue

Creation

  • Creation

    sculptor: anonymous, Northern Netherlands (possibly)

  • Dating

    c. 1650 - c. 1700

  • Search further with

Material and technique

  • Physical description

    boxwood, glass, gold leaf, steel (blade)

  • Dimensions

    • length 8.2 cm x width 1.2 cm x depth 2.1 cm (knife handle)
    • length 20.2 cm (total)

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    On loan from the Koninklijk Oudheidkundig Genootschap

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    …; bequeathed to the Koninklijk Oudheidkundig Genootschap, Amsterdam, by Nicolaas Pieneman (1809-1860), Amsterdam, 1860; on loan to the museum since 1885

Documentation

Persistent URL

Questions?

Do you spot a mistake? Or do you have information about the object? Let us know!
  • Knife with a Handle with a Crowned Lion
  • Knife with a Handle with a Crowned Lion

anonymous

Knife with a Handle with a Crowned Lion

? Northern Netherlands, c. 1650 - c. 1700

Technical notes

Carved in the round. A small glass disc has been inlaid on the lion’s shield, encasing a small piece of gold leaf.

Condition

A vertical crack traverses the left side of the handle. The blade has sustained rust damage.

Provenance

…; bequeathed to the Koninklijk Oudheidkundig Genootschap, Amsterdam, by Nicolaas Pieneman (1809-1860), Amsterdam, 1860; on loan to the museum since 1885

Object number: BK-KOG-1665

Credit line: On loan from the Koninklijk Oudheidkundig Genootschap

Entry

This boxwood knife handle is adorned with a standing lion holding a shield and wearing a crown on his head. A glass disc has been inlaid on the shield, through which a small piece of gold leaf can be seen. Made with a broad gouge, the execution of the carving is fairly coarse. The knife originates from the bequest of the Amsterdam painter Nicolaas Pieneman (1809-1860). A comparable knife handle with glass inlay, adorned with a standing dog, is today held in a private collection.1S. Moore, Cutlery for the Table: A History of British Table and Pocket Cutlery, Sheffield 1999, p. 111.

Bieke van der Mark, 2025

Literature

J. Leeuwenberg with the assistance of W. Halsema-Kubes, Beeldhouwkunst in het Rijksmuseum, coll. cat. Amsterdam 1973, no. 269

Citation

B. van der Mark, 2025, 'anonymous, Knife with a Handle with a Crowned Lion, Northern Netherlands, c. 1650 - c. 1700', in F. Scholten and B. van der Mark (eds.), European Sculpture in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/20035675

(accessed 7 augustus 2026 11:38:13 UTC+0).

Footnotes

  • 1S. Moore, Cutlery for the Table: A History of British Table and Pocket Cutlery, Sheffield 1999, p. 111.