The elusive Mango Fork. I could find references to it in Mexican and Dutch silver and some references to it in American sterling. However, when I started researching into specific patterns, I could not find a photograph of an example of this piece in any pattern. Below are pictured a random silver mango fork and a group of various silver mango forks (patterns unidentified).
I will continue my search.
Mango fork? I have never seen this fork before. If they can do this for the mango why not the apple, pear, or pomegranate? Where are the crepe servers?
ReplyDeleteYou should contact Maura Graber of the RSVP Institute of Etiquette. She just came out with a book on the forks recently. She can probably give you pattern names for them. There are some in her book.
ReplyDeleteThere was a Mango Fork because the fruit was in vogue during the Victorian and Edwardian periods when most of these sterling pieces were designed. The Mango Forks, in particular, were not that popular in American patterns, but much more so in Mexican silver. Most of what you find are not in American patterns, but in sets of forks not related to patterns. Thank you for the reference source, I will definately follow up on that. And, more importantly, thank you for reading my blog. It is always nice to know someone is out there!!
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'll see about crepe servers!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty cool blog. I have Ms. Graber's book on the mango forks. (It does have loads of other types of utensils in it too)
ReplyDeleteShe has listed some that were made by U.S. silver makers, but sold to other places. I have been trying to find some for myself. Two she shows were from "American Silver Company" aka “World Brand”. They were in the 1914 Somerset pattern. She also had a mango fork in the 1911 Community Silver "Louis XVI" pattern at a book signing I went to when I got her book, but it was for sale here in the U.S. A. She had one in the National Silver "Holly" pattern too. I asked a lot of questions! Love those mangoes :)
Luce
Thanks for reading the blog. I need to consult Ms. Graber's book. Since Mango forks aren't found in most patterns, I haven't pursued them, although I, too, find them to be very interesting pieces.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting information on the Mango Fork, our elderly Aunt died recently and in her silverware was a very strange looking fork. My brother-in-law found this site and solved the mystery, the fork is actually the same on as pictured on this site at the top of the page!
ReplyDeleteThank you once again - mystery solved.
Thank you for reading my Blog. As you can tell by the comments, I think the Mango Fork is one the of the most "mysterious" pieces of flatware. In doing research, I have found there are many people who only collect Mango forks. Often they are not pattern pieces but just sterling silver utensils of a unique design. They are very popular in Mexican silver.
ReplyDelete