Toasting fork
Unknown Artist
1561
Medium
Silver, exotic hardwood
Dimensions
Length: 34 1/2 in. (87.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
possibly British, Norfolk
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1968
Accession Number
68.141.297
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Elizabethan era, this extraordinary toasting fork from 1561 exemplifies the blend of everyday utility and luxurious craftsmanship in16th-century Britain. Measuring an impressive 34½ inches length, its elongated form was designed for safely toasting bread or cheese over an open hearth fire—a common household task before modern appliances. Likely originating from Norfolk, a region renowned for its skilled metalworkers, this piece reflects the period's growing prosperity and love for finely wrought silver objects. Crafted from gleaming silver and exotic hardwood, the fork hig...