The English House restaurant in Singapore has revealed that it was the winning bidder for Anthony Bourdain’s Kramer chef knife, and it will display it along with a collection of the late chef's personal effects.
Bourdain's knife: from the auction to the permanent display
The restaurant, which is owned by Bourdain’s friend, chef Marco Pierre White, is displaying a permanent exhibition of Bourdain’s personal possessions, art and cultural artefacts that he accumulated during his many travels around the world.
The jewel in the crown of this display is Bourdain’s chef, knife which was forged specifically for him by master knife maker Bob Kramer and was his prize possession. The knife, along with Bourdain’s other personal belongings, went up for auction in 2019 with a guide price of $4000 to $6000. The knife eventually sold for a whopping $231,250.
After a lot of conjecture, The English House, Singapore, has now revealed that it was the winning bidder, and fears that the knife would remain hidden in the hands of a private collector are now allayed. It appears that the knife was not only bought by a restaurant that belongs to Bourdain’s personal friend, but that they will put it on public display.
“Anthony Bourdain was a renegade in the culinary, travel and entertainment worlds, and his experiences led him to amass a truly impressive collection of art – one that represents his eclectic taste, appreciation for discovery and most notably, other cultures,” said The English House head chef Gabriel Fratini.
“Oftentimes, art collections like this is rarely accessible to the public, where they can be fully appreciated. The English House is honoured to be able to house his collection and preserve it in a way that lives on to inspire future generations.”
