The flatware for your wedding reception is important, especially if you’re having a grand wedding. Usually, you have 3 options for utensils – gold, silver, and stainless steel flatware. But what about something a lot more eccentric and arty-crafty? Would you like to use wedding stainless steel silverware with ivory handles? Like this intricate 17th-century set from The Met Museum.
This wonderful and really elaborate flatware set was once used by some aristocratic bride or groom. It was hand-crafted by a British craftsman Ephraim How in the late 17th century. The set includes a knife, a fork, and a sheath.
The sheath and both handles are cut from ivory and they depict a couple, a bride and a groom. The fork has a handle shaped like a naked woman holding a flower, the knife has a handle with a naked man holding an apple. Although both figures are rather modest – it’s the 1600s, nonetheless. They even are back to back (not front to front, which would be more logical) when the knife and fork are in the sheath.
Note that the objects in their hands are meaningful – a flower usually means virginity and an apple temptation. How clever of the artisan who created this beautiful set, don’t you think?
And look at the fine work of Ephraim How – every finger, every lock of hair is skillfully cut out. Such a great example of fancy wedding silverware.
