This French ‘dagger’ letter opener is crafted of chased doré bronze (or ormolu, signifying ground or pounded gold, is an English term, used since the 18th century for the technique of applying finely ground, high-carat gold–mercury amalgam to an object of bronze, and for objects finished in this way. The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-colored veneer. The French refer to this technique as bronze doré, while in English, it is known as “gilt bronze”).
This instrument features a handle in the form of a robed skeleton standing atop a cross guard in the form of a bat with wings outstretched. Emblems of fleeting time and death, the hour glass and the owl, adorn the scabbard. Also, the scabbard is engraved and dated “R. Gourmel / Paris / 1890”.
There are nods to Russia’s imperialist past, with the lush colors and the style of the imagery in some designs. The modern communist nation is clearly visible throughout. The CCCP and red star are common motifs. The other main image is modernization: factories, trains, machinery, and hardworking citizens carrying everything through. Unfortunately these colorful and aesthetic fabric patterns were replaced soon enough with more streamlined communist propaganda designs.
