Of heavy gauge .958 silver, the three tines and flat shaft ending in
a wavy-end (dognose) terminal,
11 terminals engraved with a crest :
A Saracen’s head in profile couped at the shoulders proper
hair and beard or
on the head a chapeau azure turned up tasseled (for Prideaux,
Devonshire and Cornwall);
the Spackman example, also 1707, terminal crested : a wolf's head
erased, Fairbairns 30.1
(Abrook et al, possibly with a yet unproven connection to
the Prideaux family)
Note :
The Prideaux family was begun in England by Paganus de Prideaux,
who held Prideaux Castle in Cornwall
under William I, suggesting
participation in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The family of Prideaux-Brune,
of Prideaux Place, Cornwall, descend
from the Prideauxs of Soldon.
Their family crest
includes the head of a Saracen, denoting their participation in the
crusades.
Condition : The tine tips with wear, some shorter to the outer
tines; marks rubbed on most, but several legible;
most crests still in good
readable order
Prior to the late 17th century,
forks had only two sharp tines.
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.
Forks at this time were set face
down on the table.
It is said that the placement was to keep the
tines from “catching”
in the long lace cuffs worn during that period
of time.
7.5” Long / 27.4 oz
SOLD
#6796
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