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Silver fork with stork finial, 19th century

Silver fork with stork finial, 19th century

Regular price €125,00 EUR
Regular price Sale price €125,00 EUR
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An exceptionally charming, elegant, and rare piece of late 19th-century Dutch silverware: this exclusive antique silver serving fork (meat fork) from circa 1890.
This refined piece of silver is a masterful example of the delicate and richly decorated small silverware from the Dutch Historicism period. The object is in fantastic, gleaming antique condition and is an absolute ornament for the dinner table.
The fork is immediately striking due to the cast and finished finial at the top of the handle. It depicts a highly detailed stork holding an eel (or frog) in its beak, set upon an elegant openwork rocaille pedestal. The handle itself is a work of art in its own right: a sleek twisted (torsion) middle section that transitions into a broad base decorated all around with lush, relief-cast floral motifs, flowers, and leaf shapes. The three long, slender tines make this fork pre-eminently suitable for stylishly serving fine meats, cheese, or other hors-d'oeuvres.
About the stork symbolism in Dutch silver
Around the year 1890, there was a huge reappraisal of traditional and symbolic decors in the Dutch silver centers (such as Amsterdam and Schoonhoven). The stork has traditionally been a popular motif in Dutch culture and symbolizes good luck, fertility, vigilance, and the arrival of new life. Silver serving and dessert utensils topped with a stork – often depicted with an eel or frog as prey in its beak – were frequently given in the late 19th century as a prestigious and meaningful wedding or birth gift to the well-to-do bourgeoisie.

On the back, the piece is provided with the official historical Dutch silver hallmarks (as can be seen in the macro photos):
  • The old "Sword" mark (the guarantee stamp for small silverware of at least the 2nd grade of silver, .833, used before 1905)
  • The rare and official Export stamp in the shape of a key (the recognizable tax mark/export hallmark for silver traded or exported abroad)
  • A maker's mark on the handle (unfortunately partially illegible due to the specific strike)
Specifications:
  • Object: Antique silver serving fork / meat fork with stork
  • Silversmith / Location: Maker illegible (Amsterdam / Schoonhoven region)
  • Dating: ca. 1890
  • Hallmarks: Old sword (before 1905), Export key, Maker's mark (partially unclear)
  • Length: 160 mm
  • Weight: 30.1 grams
  • Condition: In fantastic antique condition with razor-sharp reliefs, sharp tines, and historically very interesting hallmarks
A magnificent piece of Dutch cultural history and craftsmanship that instantly adds atmosphere, character, and class to your interior or silver collection!
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Silver fork with stork finial, 19th century
Silver fork with stork finial, 19th century
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