Ebony and Silver Fork from a Carving

An ebony-and-silver fork from a carving set shows Spratling applying his table-silver vocabulary to serving pieces meant to be used and handled: the silver tines and shaft join a carved ebony handle, the dark wood against bright metal that runs through his flatware. Designed as part of a set, the fork belongs to a coordinated service rather than standing alone.

The fork is recorded in Cederwall and Riney's Spratling Silver. In a 1961 catalog the set wholesaled at $30, and the design has been reissued, so a period original is identified by its early hallmark and the quality of the ebony against the later production.