On display

Toasting Fork

1669 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This long-handled fork was made in 1669 and is one of the earliest surviving examples of a silver toasting fork. The backward hook and two prongs allow slices of bread and cheese to be toasted together, perhaps as a quick snack for a student in lodgings.

The engraving in Latin on the silver ball cap gives us a real sense of the history of this particular piece. It reads, in translation, ‘Evan Lloyd’s gift from his mother 1669’.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver, wooden handle
Brief description
Silver and wood, unmarked, dated 1669
Physical description
Two prongs curved forward and curved back, two silver bands on stem and ball-cap (with inscription) and suspension ring. The wooden handle, renewed.
Dimensions
  • Length: 37in
  • Width: 0.625in
Marks and inscriptions
  • No marks
  • Engraved on the ball-cap EVANUS LLOYD EX DONO MATRIS 1669 (Evan Lloyd's gift from his mother).
Gallery label
(26/11/1996)
1. TOASTING FORK
Unmarked, dated 1669
Engraved on the ball-cap EVANUS LLOYD EX DONO MATRIS (Evan Lloyd's gift from his mother).
One of the earliest surviving examples of a silver toasting fork. The backward hook and two prongs were devised so that slices of bread and cheese could be toasted together, perhaps quick nourishment for a student in lodgings.
M.62-1954
Summary
This long-handled fork was made in 1669 and is one of the earliest surviving examples of a silver toasting fork. The backward hook and two prongs allow slices of bread and cheese to be toasted together, perhaps as a quick snack for a student in lodgings.

The engraving in Latin on the silver ball cap gives us a real sense of the history of this particular piece. It reads, in translation, ‘Evan Lloyd’s gift from his mother 1669’.
Collection
Accession number
M.62-1954

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Record createdSeptember 10, 2004
Record URL
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