Antique Silver & Mother of Pearl Fruit Knife

A delightful Mother of Pearl handled fruit knife from the expert hands of the John Yeomans Cowlishaw workshop. J Y Cowlishaw was an outstanding fruit knife maker ranking alongside George Unite having registered his mark in 1854. He 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. He 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 his 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 and 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 others is; the lovely simple pearl handle, the elongated blank cartouche, the vineleaf engraving applied to only one side of the blade This knife blade measures his favoured 7cms long and the handle measures 8.5cm. So combined the open knife measures 15.5cm. and weighs 28.23g. Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.