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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Silverplate Forum
 Numbered oyster forks. WHY?
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| Author | Topic: Numbered oyster forks. WHY? |
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Stephen Posts: 625 |
posted 05-15-2003 12:23 PM
  
Here are twelve Christofle silverplated oyster forks. Why would somone do this? IP: Logged |
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doobees Posts: 277 |
posted 05-22-2003 06:31 PM
I've never seen them numbered... I'll ask Christofle. Very interesting! ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 05-22-2003 10:54 PM
I once had a numbered Christofle tablespoon, so it isn't just oyster forks. Brent IP: Logged |
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June Martin Forum Master Posts: 1326 |
posted 05-23-2003 12:03 PM
Maybe it's for the same reason that you see those number tags that you put on your drink. It is so that you can tell your drink (or in this case, fork) from everyone else's. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 05-23-2003 01:02 PM
Reminds me of my grandmother. She had two sets of afternoon flatware; different patterns, but both good quality sterling. One set, numbered ala these forks, was always used when the church ladies came for tea. Her nickle-a-point bridge and canasta club, evidently deemed more trustworthy, used the other. IP: Logged |
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doobees Posts: 277 |
posted 05-31-2003 08:16 AM
I'm going to an auction house in Paris the 5th... I'll ask them. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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doobees Posts: 277 |
posted 06-05-2003 12:57 PM
Stephen - Armed with photo in hand, I asked every silver expert that was available at the auction house, and their guesses were the same as ours: - Someone wanted to make sure the hired help could account for all the silver at the end of the night, so it was not "lifted" by the maids... or guests or accidentally thrown away (Geez - how cheap would that make you look when hosting a dinner party!) or: - The most plausable was that the owner could have been on the habit of hosting buffet suppers and there might have been a tray of oysters so everyone had to keep track of their oyster fork... just like our wine glass charms today. Sorry there was not something more conclusive... I'll keep asking because I'm intrigued! ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Stephen Posts: 625 |
posted 06-05-2003 03:39 PM
Thanks. Can you imagine lifing one one of these? I'd have to have the whole set. IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 06-05-2003 10:17 PM
Another possibility is that these were used in some sort of upper crust hospital or sanitarium. Each patient would be assigned a numbered place setting. This could indicate a concern for communicable disease. Or a policy of being able to figure out which patient had something that could be used as a weapon. If number 7 was missing, you could pretty much guess who had to be approached carefully. And disarmed. Just a thought. IP: Logged |
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Patrick Vyvyan Posts: 640 |
posted 06-05-2003 10:37 PM
Shades of the film "Gosford Park"? Something from Agatha Christie? I'm sorry, I just don't see theft prevention as an option among the people who would have originally used these. Just thoughts, but perhaps some sort of society with 12 members - Masonic or Fraternity, perhaps IP: Logged |
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doobees Posts: 277 |
posted 06-06-2003 03:08 PM
I was back at the auction house and one of their silver appraisers said it was probably for a monastary - he said he had seen whole sets engraved for separate monks... this then brought down the house when another appraiser reminded the first that oysters were aphrodiacs and most likely "forbidden fruit" for monks... Either way, they too were intrigued since they had never seen a set of forks numbered - They thought Christofle might be interested in seeing the photo of your post and suggested I contact the Christofle Museum... so with your permission Stephen, I will. I'm going to set up that field trip next week. Is that OK with you - or would you rather I didn't? ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Stephen Posts: 625 |
posted 06-06-2003 04:32 PM
OK, great idea. I've never seen the museum, but I seem to remember reading that they have a research library as well. It'll be interesting to see what they think. I'll bet there were monks that ate oysters by the bushel. Unfortunately, no monks here in the desert. IP: Logged |
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