Collections Database

Description:
Silver trowel-shaped fish slice with vertical piercings and a green bone or ivory handle, which is attributed to William Robertson who started working in Edinburgh circa 1789. Although silver serving trowels marked by Paul de Lemarie appear as early as the 1740s, they were not produced in quantity until the 1760s. Whether used for serving fish or pudding, these utensils were often pierced with decorative geometric patterns, sometime incorporating a fish or water bird. The presence of marine life suggests a role in the serving of fish, perhaps prepared in a pudding or custard. The terms fish slice and fish trowel seem to have been used interchangeably in the 18th century, contemporary with pudding trowels that were unpierced.

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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+88.031

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