Rare Antique 18th Century Wrought Iron Roasting Fork

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18 7/8" x 2 1/2" wide Just a superb example of a late 18th, early 19th century roasting form, circa 1760-1820. A wonderful example in both condition and formation. A roasting fork such as this was an essential item of open hearth cooking, though far fewer have survived do to the delicate nature of the form (notably they usually were discarded after damage to the tines). A fork such as this is commonly referred to as a "flesh fork" as it served to roast various pieces of meat on the flames of a hearth, but also could have been used to cook root vegetables , and even fruits such as apples. This particular fork has several notable attributes that set it above the norm as a particularly unusual example. First is the striking center curl decorations. As you can see the blacksmith who forged the piece curled up the side formation to resemble hearts, evidence that this was likely a wedding present or an anniversary gift . One of the other notable elements of the form is the series of notch work on the end of the handle. This series of round designs would have allowed the piece to rest on a bar, spit of andiron during the roasting process. As you can see the piece is in very good+/excellent overall condition. There is some slight oxidation (as one would expect from age) and some light soot, still a solid example (please take a look read more

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