Set of dining cutlery for twelve people in a leather travel case, 18th–20th century. Milano, Collections of Applied Arts, Castello Sforzesco, Sambonet Collection
Venetian factory (Geminiano Cozzi?), Set of dining cutlery for six people in original presentation box, 18th century. Milano, Collections of Applied Arts, Castello Sforzesco, Sambonet Collection
Top: Gianguido Sambonet in his Milanese home examining some pieces from his collection, 1982
For me cutlery is a document, it does not matter whether it is made of gold or tin-plated silver.
Gianguido Sambonet
The Collections of Applied Arts in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan feature the Sambonet collection, comprised solely of cutlery. The collection was begun in the 1920s by Guido and Maria Sambonet, members of an old family of industrial silversmiths, and was then completed by their son Gianguido.
The collection comprises almost two thousand items and includes an extraordinary variety of cutlery of different types and from different periods. In addition to some important archaeological pieces from the Greek, Etruscan and Roman civilisations, the collection also includes late medieval and Renaissance pieces.
Some of the most interesting exhibits include original travel sets and the highly sophisticated 19th-century set with rock crystal handles. The collection also includes wonderful examples of designer cutlery, such as the elegant Gio Ponti spoon, knife and fork with their simple lines.
