Fork from Three-piece Carving Set
Decorative Arts and Design
On View: Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor
Made in the 1880s, these two carving sets allude to exotic cultures and historical periods that appealed to consumers of the time. The Gorham set shows Asian influence, while the Rogers Brothers set is influenced by the sixteenth-century European Renaissance. They were made, however, for different consumers, as reflected in the materials, the amount of handwork, and the cost.
Gorham Manufacturing created its set in a limited edition intended for the elite, using costly silver and decorating the handles with enamel inlay, a time-consuming process involving great skill. The Rogers Brothers set was manufactured in larger numbers for the middle class. It is made of less expensive silver plate (a base metal electroplated with a thin layer of silver) and molded and finished entirely by machine.
MEDIUM
Silver-plate
DATES
ca. 1886
DIMENSIONS
11 1/2 x 1 1/8 x 7/8 in. (29.2 x 2.9 x 2.2 cm)
MARKINGS
Stamped on back of guard: "PAT (?) / MAY 7 (?) / 1878"
SIGNATURE
no signature
INSCRIPTIONS
no inscriptions
ACCESSION NUMBER
88.159.2
CREDIT LINE
H. Randolph Lever Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
A silver-plate carving fork with two long tines and a moveable guard at mid-point (part of a carving set: 88.159.1-.3) the hollow handle is decorated in high molded relief that is the same front and back. There is a central pattern of scrolling leaves and flowers topped by full-face grotesque mask with shoulder-length curling hair and a feathered headdress, all against continuous horizontal band of flowers and scrolls capped by a flower with a projecting hemispherical center at the end of the handle. Norman Pattern.
Condition: Very good. The plate is very bright. Normal wear; some light overall scratching on tines.
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