You weren’t imagining it — the small, unusual glass item you found is a knife rest, a real piece of tableware that was once a common part of formal dining.

A knife rest is a small accessory designed to hold a used knife off the table or tablecloth when it’s not in use, keeping cloths clean and protecting the blade from contact with surfaces.

These utensils date back as far as the late 17th or early 18th century, with even earlier rudimentary forms used in the time of Henry VIII. They became especially widespread in Europe through the 18th and 19th centuries, when multi-course dinners and elaborate table etiquette were cultural norms among the gentry and middle classes.

During the Victorian era, knife rests were made from a wide variety of materials — including glass, silver, porcelain, ivory, and horn — and often featured ornate or decorative designs fitting with the formal dining aesthetics of the time.

At a formal table setting, diners would place their used knife (and sometimes other utensils) on the rest between courses rather than laying it directly on the tablecloth or plate, which was considered poor etiquette and risked soiling linens.

As dining culture shifted toward more casual meals in the 20th century and tablecloth use declined, knife rests fell out of everyday use and became relatively obscure — often only seen now in antique collections or among enthusiasts who appreciate historic tableware.