Set of hand-forged Victorian Rattail pattern sterling silver cutlery for 12

Set of late-Victorian antique hand-forged sterling silver cutlery in the classic Rattail pattern. All pieces are in excellent and original condition and this timeless design complements both traditional and modern table settings.

Rattail is the oldest of the English cutlery designs dating from the early 1700s with the distinctive rat tail on the backs of the spoon bowls and forks. This feature developed in an age when craftsmen made spoons in two pieces joining the bowl and the handle together by means of soldering using a tapered tail as additional strength to the joint. This design also features a prominent rib down the front of the handle and continues to be a popular design to the present day.

This classic set is easily incorporated into a traditional or modern setting and comprises:

12 table forks
12 tablespoons (2 x William Hutton, London 1895)
12 dessert forks
12 dessert spoons

Antique silver knives rarely survive so this set is accompanied by 12 pairs of heavy-gauge hard-soldered Plain Pistol pattern silver table knives and dessert knives made by C J Vander, London 1984. C J Vander was known for producing high-quality flatware, making many of the traditional patterns by hand and some completely modern designs.