Carrol Boyes Rare 1989 18 Piece Cutlery Set, Early Pewter Functional Art Flatware, South African Brutalist Sculptural Tableware

An exceptional and increasingly difficult-to-find 18-piece early Carrol Boyes cutlery set, dating from 1989, the year in which the celebrated South African artist and sculptor established her functional art business in Cape Town.

This is not conventional flatware. Each piece was conceived as a small functional sculpture, combining practical tableware with the bold, tactile and unmistakably artistic vocabulary that made Carrol Boyes internationally recognizable.

The set comprises 18 individual pieces for six place settings:

6 dinner knives
6 dinner forks
6 soup spoons

Dessert spoons are not included in this set.

Most importantly, all 18 pieces are different from one another. Each handle has its own sculptural form and personality, making the complete set feel much more like a curated collection of miniature sculptures than a uniform cutlery service.

Almost each of the 18 pieces is individually signed with the Carrol Boyes signature, an important detail that confirms the designer attribution throughout the entire set.

These early pieces belong to the formative period of Carrol Boyes’ career, when her work was especially physical, substantial and experimental. The sculptural handles are associated with her early use of pewter, combined with stainless-steel eating implements, giving the pieces the substantial weight and tactile presence for which her original functional-art cutlery became known.

The aesthetic is bold, expressive and almost Brutalist in character: irregular forms, exaggerated silhouettes and substantial metalwork transform each knife, fork and spoon into a conversation piece.

The importance of the date should not be underestimated. Carrol Boyes founded her business in 1989, after leaving teaching to pursue her background in fine art and sculpture. Her earliest commercial work concentrated particularly on cutlery and flatware, making a set from this period especially relevant to collectors of her work.

Today, many of the company’s heritage cutlery designs have been reinterpreted in modern polished 18/8 stainless steel. These vintage examples belong to an earlier generation of production and retain the heavier, more sculptural character associated with Carrol Boyes’ original pewter-based functional art.

The contrast is immediately apparent in the hand: these are not lightweight contemporary utensils but substantial objects with real visual and physical presence. The 18 pieces together weigh approximately 1,680 grams / 3.70 lb, which gives a very good indication of their remarkable solidity and substantial construction.

Carrol Boyes trained in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria, majoring in sculpture. After working as a teacher, she began transforming ordinary household objects into pieces of functional art, ultimately becoming one of South Africa’s most recognizable design figures. Her approach was based on the idea that everyday utilitarian objects could also be collectible works of sculpture.

This complete group beautifully demonstrates that philosophy.

The set is also accompanied by its original individual velvet storage sleeves, an especially desirable detail that helps protect the sculptural surfaces and substantially enhances the collectability and presentation of the set.

Ideal for a sophisticated contemporary dining room, an eclectic or Brutalist interior, an art collector’s table, or simply for someone who believes that even an everyday dinner setting should contain objects of genuine artistic character.

A rare opportunity to acquire an extensive early Carrol Boyes cutlery collection from the beginning of her career, rather than assembling individual examples one at a time.

HIGHLIGHTS
Rare 18-piece Carrol Boyes cutlery set
South Africa
Dating from 1989
Early period of Carrol Boyes Functional Art
6 dinner knives
6 dinner forks
6 soup spoons
All 18 sculptural designs are different
Every piece is individually signed Carrol Boyes
Dessert spoons are not included
Early pewter sculptural handles with stainless-steel functional elements
Exceptionally substantial construction
Total weight approximately 1,680 g / 3.70 lb
Bold sculptural / Brutalist-inspired aesthetic
Original individual velvet storage sleeves
Collectible South African functional art
Designed for six place settings
SET INCLUDES

18 pieces in total:

6 Dinner Knives
6 Dinner Forks
6 Soup Spoons

Price for set

Additional dimensions information:

Please request dimensions from seller