Ivory carving paper knife with cloud and dragon patterns

[Ivory carved paper knife with cloud and dragon pattern]

Ivory carved paper knife with cloud and dragon pattern, clear, 30.2 cm long. The old collection of the Qing Palace
The paper knife is long, flat, with a handle on the upper part, slightly thick. It is decorated with dragon and pearl patterns in relief on one side, around the sun-like central platform, and the other side is engraved with the pattern of “Swastika does not break its head”. The lower part of the tool is plain and is a cutting knife. The blade is extremely thin and the top is smooth. The transition part between the handle and the blade is decorated with flower and leaf patterns by carving and intaglio. The front and back are the same. Its theme style is similar to the fine potato leaf patterns prevailing in the Baroque and Rococo periods in Europe, which indicates that this article may be the work of Guangdong craftsmen affected by the western craft style