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  treasures of the palace  
  'Flatware'/Cutlery from tea service of Emperor Napoleon I, by Martin-Guillaume Biennais, Pierre-Benoît Lorillon and an unidentified maker  
                 
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© National Museums of Scotland 		 

Formerly in Hamilton Palace, South Lanarkshire, now in the National Museums of Scotland

The tea service of the Emperor Napoleon, purchased by the 10th Duke of Hamilton in 1830, originally contained 24 knives with steel blades and 24 knives with gilt blades bearing the maker's mark of Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who supplied the service. They were for the main course and fruit or dessert respectively. There were also 12 dessert spoons, 12 dessert forks and 24 coffee spoons by Pierre-Benoît Lorillon, who specialised in producing 'flatware' or cutlery (knives, forks and spoons) and supplied large numbers of such items to Biennais.

This illustration shows examples of these knives and spoons and also one of the two salt shovels or spoons by Lorillon (far left), used with the double salts. Note the profile head of Napoleon on the handle of the knife.

 
                 
  Shortly after acquiring the service, the 10th Duke commissioned a further 12 dessert spoons and 12 dessert forks. One of these forks is also illustrated here. The interior of the second chest was altered to accommodate them. As a result, the two toast racks became homeless and had to be stored elsewhere.  
                 
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  [ related links ]              
  Click for further informationEmperor Napoleon in his Study        
                 
    Click for further informationDouble salt from the tea service   Click for further informationSugar bowl from the tea service    
                 
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