Object details
Accession number
U32s54
Primary Creator
Adrien Dubois de Laval
(active Paris, 1880 - 1923, Paris)
Full title
Flower and Fruit Picker [Cueilleuse Dubois]
Creation Date
about 1910
Provenance
Probably purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from the cutlery manufacturer and retailer, Underwood, 56 Haymarket, London, about 1910.
Marks
Incised trademark of Adrien Dubois de Laval (on handle, side 1): Ceuilleuse Dubois/ A.D. Brevets/ Francais & Etrangers
Incised (on trigger, side 1): Fleur
Incised (on handle, side 2): Underwood/ 56/ Haymarket/ London
Incised (on trigger, side 2): Fruit
Dimensions
108.9 cm (42 7/8 in.)
Display Media
Maple and bamboo
Web Commentary
Adrien Dubois was trained as a cutler, a person who makes, sells and repairs knives, but he was also an inventor. His most famous invention was the “Dubois picker,” this stick-like pair of scissors operated by a trigger. Enabling the user to snip blossoms or fruit at a distance of up to 3 meters, it was particularly useful for avoiding thorns.Isabella, an avid gardener, purchased three Dubois pickers and mounted them in the cane rack in the Worthington Street Lobby. They invite us to imagine Gardner heading out the door to gather roses from her garden.
Permanent Gallery Location
Worthington Street Lobby
Bibliography
Christina Nielsen et. al. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: A Guide (New Haven, 2017), p. 81, ill.
Rights and reproductions
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