Set of four antique sterling silver menu holders

Set of four antique Edwardian sterling silver place card holders or menu holders in the classic simple disc style, each engraved with a crest of a dog and the motto Respice Finem - consider the end - for the Allington family. This is a particularly heavy set in wonderful original condition. It comes complete in its original fitted case bearing the name of the retailer, Hamilton & Inches in Edinburgh.

As a fine and traditional addition to fine dining, it was the Victorians who first introduced menu holders to our dining tables. Silver menu holders and place card holders were first created to hold a card displaying the menu and, rather than putting a place card holder and name in front of each diner as we often do today, silver menu holders were spread and passed around the dining table. For that reason, we most frequently find sets of four silver menu holders, or pairs. Larger sets of six and eight can be found, while ten or a dozen silver menu or place card holders are fairly rare.