DuPaquier Knife Handle

This is a rare knife handle made by Du Paquier around 1730. Claudius Innocentius du Paquier was the founder of Europe's second oldest porcelain maker which he started in 1718. A precursor to the Vienna porcelain factory. His wares are exceedingly rare and owning some of his pieces was always a goal of mine. I have owned a handful and still own a couple of pieces but am always thrilled to find a new addition to my collection. This piece here is something a bit different - a handle for a knife made of porcelain and hand painted in their typical colors and style. I had to look through my books to confirm it was made by them. Their colors are pretty distinct though as are their designs. Hand painted with different color scrolls and deisgns in orange, blue, green, purple and gold. Hard to describe the design so just have a look at the pictures. The piece is of a nice quality and these early wares from the first half of the 18th century are hard to find by any of the few makers that were around back then! The handle is not marked which is the norm. It has seen better days in terms of condition with two large cracks running most of the length on opposite sides and a bit of wear. Still not something you are likely to find again anytime soon if ever. The blade is a later replacement and is marked Henry Thompson 9 Nassau Street Dublin as shown. It dates to the 1820's so is still quite old! The entire knife and handle are 8.5 inches long with the porcelain handle being 3.25 inches long, 0.875 inches wide and 1 inch tall. Please email me for more information or other pictures.