A PAIR OF SILVER ICE TONGS

MARK OF GORHAM MFG. CO., PROVIDENCE, CIRCA 1870

細節

A PAIR OF SILVER ICE TONGS
MARK OF GORHAM MFG. CO., PROVIDENCE, CIRCA 1870
Formed as two harpoons entwined with rope, the spring surmounted by a polar bear, the spoon pierced with stylized leaves, later engraved with monogram EHD, marked on spoon, also marked 63
12¼ in. long; 5 oz.

拍品專文

This pair of tongs was made to be paired with an ice bowl first introduced on April 15, 1870. The ice bowl proved very popular, and was sometimes accompanied by a serving spoon; the matching ice tongs are an even greater rarity. The iconography of these tongs relates to the 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. Also at this time, the Bostonian, Frederic Tudor (1783-1864) developed the technology to harvest, market, and sell ice to an affluent audience. Ice was a luxury, and these ice tongs and bowls provided the perfect accessory to a status symbol. (See: Samuel J. Hough, "The Class of 1870: Gorham Sterling Ice Bowls," Silver Magazine, September-October 1989, pp. 30-33)

A pair of tongs and an ice bowl were sold in these Rooms, January 15, 2004, lot 135.