On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Pudding Trowel

1774-1775 (made)
Artist/Maker
Meach, Richard (maker)
Place of origin
London (made)

As the name suggests, this pudding trowel was used to serve pudding or dessert. The pudding trowel was a novelty at the beginning of the period 1700-1800 when delicate French desserts were increasingly popular in England. During this period dining habits became increasingly refined and a whole host of new dining and serving utensils developed. Pudding trowels often had elaborate pierced decoration. Here you can see exotic birds in the foliage.

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interact Serving up: silver slices Rummage hard enough through your kitchen drawers and you might find a metal server for slicing and serving fish, cakes, pies and puddings. Today slices are often reserved for special occasions, but they were once the height of fashion, specially designed for specific foods – from 'knight s...

Object details

Categories
Eating
Metalwork
Tableware & Cutlery
Object type
Pudding trowel
Materials and techniques
Silver, pierced
Silver
Piercing
Brief description
Silver, London hallmarks for 1774-5, mark of Richard Meach
Physical description
Triangular spade pierced with three birds and foliage, handle with beading down the stem and pierced palmette end.
Dimensions
  • Length: 11.875in
  • Width: 4.5in
Marks and inscriptions
  • Mark of Richard Mills
  • London hallmarks for 1774-5
Gallery label
(26/11/1996)
PUDDING TROWEL
London, 1774-5
Mark of Richard Meach
The pudding trowel was a novelty of the early 18th century when delicate French desserts were increasingly popular in England. The pierced and engraved decoration could be very elaborate - note the exotic birds amidst the foliage.
C.D. Rotch Bequest
M.306-1962
Credit line
Bequeathed by Claude D. Rotch
Object history
Bequest - Rotch
Acquisition RF: 61 / 3157
Subjects depicted
Birds
Foliage
Palmette
Summary
As the name suggests, this pudding trowel was used to serve pudding or dessert. The pudding trowel was a novelty at the beginning of the period 1700-1800 when delicate French desserts were increasingly popular in England. During this period dining habits became increasingly refined and a whole host of new dining and serving utensils developed. Pudding trowels often had elaborate pierced decoration. Here you can see exotic birds in the foliage.
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.306-1962

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Record createdSeptember 10, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O104405/pudding-trowel-meach-richard/
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