Use
Toasting forks date back to the mid-sixteenth century and were historically used by members of the middle and upper class to heat bread, cheese, and slices of meat over an open fire. When not in use, iron toasting forks like this one were hung by the fire from a ring at the top. As such, toasting forks—when adorned with gilding, engraving, and ornamental figures—served as conspicuous displays of wealth.
This particular fork features a stately figure on both the handle and just above the prongs at the end. While thought to resemble Henry VIII (1491–1547) and William Shakespeare (1564–1616), the figures’ identities cannot be confirmed at this time. Research on this object is ongoing.
