H23.2539

1776
.5 in WIDE
(1.27 cm WIDE)
Boston, MA
Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth R. Hawes
H23.2539


Two-tined fork, bone handle. Date of 1776.Object: Steel knife and fork with bone handles, circa 1820-1870, and pewter serving spoon, circa 1800-1850. Knife marked "Horton and Co., Sheffield." History: Pewter is an alloy of tin, with either brass or lead or antimony or bismuth, or copper and zinc. Its silvery patina, sturdiness and low cost made it the most common metal for table cutlery until the invention of steel, around 1800. The bone-handled fork and knife are common cutlery from the early 1800s. The fork, along with the knife, was probably manufactured in Sheffield, England. Sheffield was one of the most productive areas of cutlery manufacture, supplying England, North America and most of Europe, from the 1500s almost until 1900. The fork has only two tines, which was common until the early 1800s; forks were use mainly for spearing meat on the plate, while spoons were used to eat most other foods.
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