Victoriana
by Madden Cole
| 26 November, 2007 |
Article from the Collectables column of Business Day newspaper dated 19th March 2003NECESSITY might well be the mother of invention, but invention is often a response to dissatisfaction with the shortcomings of a way of doing things. This is pretty much how utensils such as fish servers evolved, says Henry Petroski in The Evolution of Useful Things on the Diner’s Digest’s website. The Antique Silver Servers for the Dining Table website says various silver servers became widely used in the early 18th century, developing alongside table cutlery and the refinement of dining practices. These servers included fish, pudding, cake, cheese, asparagus, chop and butter servers. Diner’s Digest says they provided “some of the most beautiful and striking products of the silversmith’s art”. Stephen Helliwell, in Collecting Small Silverware, says the late 18th century saw the arrival of a new form of slice, with rounded blades, used almost exclusively for serving fish. In the early 19th century the fish slice’s blade took the scimitar shape, and matching large forks were provided with the slices. Designs began to assume “a decidedly piscatorial motif”, with fish, water weeds and water birds used in popular designs. In Victoria’s time engraved vignettes included boats, nets and shrimp girls. Fish slices and forks were sold in silk-lined, fitted leather cases. Today a case in good condition adds 50% to the asking price, says Helliwell. Petroski says the Victorian era was the most creative, with new utensils such as tomato servers, sardine forks, jelly knives, cheese scoops and fish servers appearing. Stainless steel, invented in the 1920s, provided “an inexpensive, easy to maintain and non-reactive metal for making table knife blades. Until then special sterling silver fish and salad knife blades were needed to avoid an unpleasant taste which would result from the use of steel blades on these two items.” Jeremy Astfalck of The Old Corkscrew in Franschhoek says Victorian fish server handles’ hallmarks match hallmarks on blades and tines. The forging and piercing of the blades, the scrolling and the engraving were done by different craftsmen. “Art Deco fish servers are now outselling Victorian pieces as the trend is towards simplicity of design. But there is still strong demand for mid-Victorian pieces,” he says. Astfalck tags an 1851 Birmingham set of silver fish servers at R8950, and Art Deco sets at R4000 to R6000. Judith Miller’s Antiques Price Guide prices an 1814 George III silver crested fish slice by Emes & Barnard at £120 to £180, and a pair of Victorian silver-plated fish servers with scroll and shell embossed handles at £50 to £80. |