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1960 |
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Fork (France)
This is a fork. It was made by Jean-Charles Cahier. It is dated 1819–38 and we acquired it in 1960. Its medium is silver. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.
text from the historical overview in "Feeding Desire":
Forks and spoons of pewter and silver in eighteenth and nineteenth century France were often a of a shape somewhat similar to a violin, and hence now known as the "Fiddle" pattern. At first the deocration of the flatwaere, usually the crest, coat of arms, or later, the initials of the owner, were invariably placed on the back of the fork or spoon. This flat, even slightly convex surface was easier to engrave and the decorations easier to see, encouraging their face-down placement and reinforcing the common etiquette of placing fork tines away from one's neighbor. Like the simple, classic English pattern often called Hanoverian, named for the monarchy in which it originated, this pattern, after evolving into a squared-off variation of the "fiddle" shape, was used for pewter as well and has remained in production and been adopted in many other countries ( fig. 36,37).
This object was
donated by
Mrs. Arthur Wiesenberger and Arthur Wiesenberger.
It is credited Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wiesenberger.
Its dimensions are
L x W x D: 21.3 × 3 × 2.9 cm (8 3/8 × 1 3/16 × 1 1/8 in.)
It has the following markings
On reverse of stem, stamped: [1] French mark for .950 fineness, used 1819-1838 [2] Maker's mark, possibly Jean-Charles Cahier [3] Paris guaranty mark, used 1819-1838
It is inscribed
On reverse of stem, below Paris guarantee mark, hand inscribed: "45-352"
Cite this object as
Fork (France); Made by Jean-Charles Cahier; silver; L x W x D: 21.3 × 3 × 2.9 cm (8 3/8 × 1 3/16 × 1 1/8 in.); Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wiesenberger; 1960-189-1-a
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Feeding Desire: Design and the Tools of the Table, 1500-2005.
