Let's end our short parade of letterknives with this Rococo Revival specimen—made in England in the Teens or Twenties. Heavy and handsome, it would add dramatic punctuation to any nice desk.
The Rococo Movement (of the 1700's) immediately followed the Baroque Period (of the 1600's and early 1700's). While both movements were expensive, opulent and theatrical, they pursued different purposes and each employed a different aesthetic vocabulary.
The Baroque (which followed the Renaissance and Mannerist Eras) was a bold and masculine assertion of grandeur, drama, seriousness and dominance—coincident with the Counter-Reformation efforts of the Church which sought to define itself in contrast to the austerity of the breakaway Protestant denominations. The Baroque was noted for its massive scale, symmetry and solemn colorations: reds, black, dark greens and gold. The Church—and European monarchs—used the Baroque to emphasize their grandeur, power and authority.
The Rococo, on the other hand, sought to delight the viewer—to entertain—with delicacy and frivolity. Asymmetry and curvaceous lines were employed—as were fanciful pastels and other light colors. Delicate natural motifs—like flowers, foliage and seashells—were employed to add touches of feminine whimsy. Whereas the Baroque was promoted in public spaces—churches, town halls, palaces—the Rococo was used most frequently to entertain the wealthy in their private interiors—entry halls, bedrooms, music rooms.
Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome English letterknife.
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