Dessert Fork
1836-37 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Fork, silver, with fiddle, thread and shell pattern on handle.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Dessert fork, silver, one of a set of six dessert forks and four dessert spoons, Fiddle, thread and shell pattern, made by Hayne & Co., 1836-37 |
| Physical description | Fork, silver, with fiddle, thread and shell pattern on handle. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions | Marked on the back of the handle with a London hallmark, duty mark, sterling mark of a lion passant, date letter 'A' for 1836-7, maker's mark for Samuel Hayne and Dudley Cater, comprising four copperplate letters, of 'S H' above 'D C'.
On the front of the handle, below the shell pattern, is a crest of a boar's head. (Most marks on back of handle, boar's head on front of handle.; punching) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Miss D.B. Simpson |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Miss D. B. Simpson |
| Historical context | b>Object Type Smaller forks evolved in the early 18th century as cutlery became specialised. A desire to eat more elegantly prompted the need for table equipment that could be used only at particular times in the meal or with certain foods. The fruit or dessert fork was designed for use with the last course or dessert, which might consist of fresh or candied fruit. A Victorian etiquette book of 1880 advised, 'In eating pears or apples, they would be peeled and cut into halves and quarters with a fruit knife and fork.' Design & Designing Dessert cutlery had always been more highly decorated than that for the earlier courses, to reflect the status and expense of the dessert. Handles, in particular, were often more ornate. In the Victorian period fruit forks were commonly sold with fruit knives in boxed sets of a dozen. The manufacturer Elkington & Co. could charge up to £22 a set in 1885 for richly engraved blades with carved handles and accompanying matching knives. |
| Production | Hallmarking year runs from 29th May 1836- 29th May 1837 |
| Bibliographic reference | Arthur G. Grimwade, 'London Goldsmiths 1697-1837 Their Marks and Their Lives', Faber and Faber, 1990 ed., p.182-3, mark ref. 2546 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.182:4-1977 |
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| Record created | August 13, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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