Table fork
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Steel, agate, bronze
Dimensions
Length (fork .45): 9 3/8 in. (23.8 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Steel
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of R. Stuyvesant, 1891
Accession Number
91.16.45
Art Historical Context
This elegant 18th-century French table exemplifies the refined metalwork of the European decorative arts tradition. Crafted from steel, agate, and, it measures 9 3/8 inches in length, making it a practical yet luxurious utensil for formal dining. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1891 by R. Stuyvesant, it now resides in the Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, classified as metalwork in steel. In the opulent world of 18th-century, table forks like this one marked a shift in dining etiquette among the aristocracy. Once a novelty, forks had become essential by the Rococo ...