Further Media
This elegant table utensil is most likely a lifter with which desserts such as tartelettes, éclairs or petit fours could be served. Such cutlery was also used for serving fish dishes. The long, narrow wooden handle made it possible to serve fish from a distance. While the turned and lacquered handle does not need any ornamentation, the pearl made of bone at its lower end adds a little visual highlight.
The artistically crafted pewter spoon, with which the pastry was picked up and transported, is a characteristic example of Classicist ornamentation. In the lower half, it consists of spiral acanthus leaves that entwine symmetrically around a fluted vase. The fruits, leaves and ears of corn, which spill out of this vase (also symmetrically and resembling a cornucopia), may hint at an alternative use of the lifter.
Text: Alexander Röstel