Artwork Page for Fork with Mule-Head Finial

Details / Information for Fork with Mule-Head Finial

Fork with Mule-Head Finial

375–425 CE

Italy, Roman

Medium
silver
Measurements
Overall: 0.5 x 20.4 cm (3/16 x 8 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Alexander 1987.210
Public Domain
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Location
103 Roman
Print
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Did You Know?

This fork served a utilitarian purpose as flatware in antiquity.

Description

This two-tined silver fork has a faceted handle that terminates in a mule head, perhaps a nod to its use for meat— whether cooking, serving, or eating. Forks from the premodern Mediterranean are rare, only known through a small number of surviving examples. Extant forks are relatively large and often bronze, making this silver example still more rare.
A silver fork, featuring a long handle with a square cross-section, tapers into two slender tines with a curved base. At the opposite end, a small, sculpted animal head with elongated ears crowns the straight shaft. The metallic surface displays a hammered, polished texture along its length. This tool extends diagonally across the frame, its reflective gray body transitioning from the ornate animal finial to sharp, functional points.

Fork with Mule-Head Finial

375–425 CE

Italy, Roman

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