What we present here is an original box with exclusive twelve knife rests in the form of different animal figures. These are silver plated and made by the company Gallia Christofle, France. These knife rests were designed for the company by the famous Marcel Edouard Sandoz around 1930 in cubist design. The different animals are: lion, peacock, dolphin, wolf, cat, dog, pig, hare, pelican, pigeon, duck and rat (?). Some are marked with the imprinted name “GALLIA” and also with “the king of chess”. This set was used in the first class dining room of the package boat the “S.S. Normandy”.

Condition: all perfect, box shows signs of wear on the outside.

Literature: Metalkunst vom Jugendstil zur Moderne Karl H. Bröhan, Bröhan Museum Berlin. 150 ans d’orfèvrerie Christofle Chêne, Hachette. The world of Art Deco by Bevis Hillier. Dutton, New York.