Fish Carvers
1897-1898 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
These fish servers would have been part of a silver table service. By the time they were made in 1897 to 1898 a fish slice was supplied with almost every flatware service. The advantage of silver was that it did not taint the delicate flavour of the fish. The pierced design was decorative but also allowed any excess liquid to drain away.
The fish slice evolved from the ‘Pudding Trowle’, such as the one supplied to the Earl of Kildare in 1745. The ‘trowle’ normally consisted of a triangular blade which was pierced and sawn to various designs. It was soon used for fish as well as pudding. By the 1770s, when it was suddenly fashionable to eat whitebait, silversmiths
supplied a large number of trowels with blades that were both shaped like a fish and also pierced and chased to represent one. The earliest trowels usually had solid silver handles. Later examples had turned and stained ivory handles.
The fish slice evolved from the ‘Pudding Trowle’, such as the one supplied to the Earl of Kildare in 1745. The ‘trowle’ normally consisted of a triangular blade which was pierced and sawn to various designs. It was soon used for fish as well as pudding. By the 1770s, when it was suddenly fashionable to eat whitebait, silversmiths
supplied a large number of trowels with blades that were both shaped like a fish and also pierced and chased to represent one. The earliest trowels usually had solid silver handles. Later examples had turned and stained ivory handles.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Silver and ivory, with pierced and engraved floral decoration |
| Brief description | Fish carvers, silver, pierced and engraved with mounted, ivory handles, Sheffield hallmarks for 1897-8, mark of William Hutton. |
| Physical description | Scimitar shaped blade and fork, floral decoration |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Miss D.B. Simpson |
| Object history | Fish carvers in intricate pierced and engraved designs were popular to add ornament to the table as well as for their function of serving fish. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | These fish servers would have been part of a silver table service. By the time they were made in 1897 to 1898 a fish slice was supplied with almost every flatware service. The advantage of silver was that it did not taint the delicate flavour of the fish. The pierced design was decorative but also allowed any excess liquid to drain away. The fish slice evolved from the ‘Pudding Trowle’, such as the one supplied to the Earl of Kildare in 1745. The ‘trowle’ normally consisted of a triangular blade which was pierced and sawn to various designs. It was soon used for fish as well as pudding. By the 1770s, when it was suddenly fashionable to eat whitebait, silversmiths supplied a large number of trowels with blades that were both shaped like a fish and also pierced and chased to represent one. The earliest trowels usually had solid silver handles. Later examples had turned and stained ivory handles. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.196&A-1977 |
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| Record created | March 15, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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