Fork
ca. 1680â1700
Classification
cutlery
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
The Robert L. Metzenberg Collection, gift of Eleanor L. Metzenberg
Accession Number
1985-103-168
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
### Fork, ca. 1680–1700 Step into the world of colonial dining with this elegant *Fork* from the late 17th to early 18th century a humble yet revealing artifact in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection. Classified as cutlery, it hails from a time when forks were still a relative novelty in American households. Introduced to Europe from Byzantine and Italian influences in the 16th century they symbolized refinement and status, gradually replacing knives and hands as the preferred utensil for the elite and emerging middle class. Though the artist and medium remain unknown—befitting an...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...