Of heavy gauge silver, each with three
full length tines, the shaft with slight upper ridge and a pip to
the upturned terminal,
the terminal verso engraved with the arms
of an unknown family impaling Moore (More, Moor, Muir or Mure), contemporaneous with the forks :
Arms : (on the dexter) Azure a chevron
argent between three pine cones
(…?...) (for …?...);
(on the sinister) Argent a moor’s head
couped proper wreathed about the temples
(…?...) between three pierced mullets gules
(for Moore)
(marriage of an unidentified gentleman to an
unnamed lady of the family of Moore)
Condition : Excellent; good weight
and tines, the tines with knife marks to the ends; makers marks
rubbed
Marks : date mark of I, lion passant and crowned leopard to each
one with maker’s mark almost obliterated, the other
with a W above another unknown initial. The only London maker found
at that time with such an arrangement was
William Scarlett,
Grimwade #3292, registered 1720.
Note :
At the very end of
the 17th and beginning of the 18th century, silver dinner forks with
three tines were introduced
- the three tines representing the thumb and two first fingers, then proper for transporting solid foods to the mouth. Although
forks had existed since biblical times, they were quite slow to
catch on in England.
The earlier British
clergy contended that God gave people fingers for eating, and
declared forks to be diabolical
(forks sometimes
then referred to as "pitchforks", having the same Latin root furca).
The "sherbet course"
was introduced in the early 1700's, not to clear the palette, as
commonly thought,
but for the washing of the single fork for the next course.
Queen Anne dognose forks are quite rare and therefore quite expensive - more suitable for the
collector than
for table use. The Hanoverian three-tine fork,
while still rare in good condition, is more accessible and quite
acceptable
with dognose spoons, also being used with dognose spoons during the
Queen Anne period.
6.75” Long / 3.1 oz
SOLD
#6340
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