Silver asparagus tongs

In the 18th and 19th centuries, asparagus servers were created with the sole purpose of picking up and consuming asparagus! This lovely pair of antique silver asparagus tongs are decorated in Albany pattern. The blades are nicely pierced and feature swirling foliage and flowers. The decoration is surrounded hand engraved keylines and the grips feature the Albany fluted decorations with a ball ornamentation.

Britain's asparagus season kicks off on April 23rd - St George's Day - and given our penchant for eating fruits and vegetables in season, it is not uncommon to eat British asparagus every single day across a four-to-six-week period.  It can grow up to 100mm in one day, can cure hangovers and improve your libido! King Louis XIV, Thomas Jefferson and Queen Victoria were all ardent fans of the vegetable.

Asparagus servers exist in two forms, the scissor action version and the sprung U-shape like this pair. Meanwhile, silver asparagus pinchers or asparagus tongs, introduced in the 19th century, are the cutlery for individual diners to eat their asparagus.