Top Quality Antique Silver and Carved MOP Folding Pocket Fruit Knife by John Yeomans Cowlishaw, Sheffield 1875

Here on offer is a top quality antique English silver and carved Mother of Pearl folding pocket fruit knife by John Yeomans Cowlishaw 1875
This beautiful knife is just in a class above the rest. It has a solid silver plain blade with a clear set of English silver hallmarks, the Lion Passant for English silver (925), Queen Victoria’s head in profile, a Lions Head for the assay office of Sheffield and the date letter “H” for the year 1875.
It also shows the maker’s mark, “JYC” set in a rectangle, which relates to the top quality English knife maker and silversmith, John Yeomans Cowlishaw, of Market Street, Sheffield, England.

John Yeomans Cowlishaw was related to the Mappin family through his mother Mary; he was nephew to John Newton Mappin, and was cousin to the Mappin brothers, who founded Mappin Brothers and Mappin & Webb.
John Cowlishaw lived with his uncle John Newton Mappin from a young age and followed him into the family business, making silver fruit knives.
Cowlishaw joined the family firm, Joseph Mappin & Son, in Pepper Alley as a pearl cutter and dealer, and by 1854 he had started his own firm in Norfolk Street making silver fruit knives and cutting mother of pearl. When John N. Mappin finally retired from pearl cutting he gave the business to Cowlishaw who combined it with his own.
As the business grew, he moved into larger workshops finally working from 67 Arundel Street. After Cowlishaw’s death in 1895, his son John Edward Cowlishaw took over running the company until his retirement in 1901.
The Cowlishaw name passed out of the family and was run from various different addresses in the city. By the early 1970s the company was based at Portland Works, Hill Street.

The blade is in great condition but the very tip has been bent over and then straightened at some point in its life. Please see my pictures.
The blade spring is still strong and it slots easily back into the handle when closed up.
What makes this fruit knife stand out from the rest is the stunning carved Mother of Pearl handle. I have never seen one with a ‘diamond’ pattern carved into it, in this case on both sides of the handle. Then a tiny silver pin has been inserted into the centre of every diamond, it is truly a work of art!
I have seen simpler examples of Cowlishaw’s work sell for £175 as he was considered to be the best Pearl carver in the business.
This knife blade measures 2.75” (7cm) long and the handle measures 3.25” (8.5cm). So combined the knife measures 6” (15.3cm).
It weighs 27g.
Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

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Code: 50059