Antique Mother of Pearl Cutlery Set 6 Cutting Utensil 6 Forks Steel Cased c1900

Set: 12 pieces Contents: 6 knives and 6 forks Handles: Mother of pearl Blades: Steel Fork prongs/tines: Steel Ferrules: Ornate silver-coloured metal Period: Believed to be late 19th/early 20th century, approximately c.1900 Case: Fitted wooden presentation case Interior: Blue fabric lining Maker: Unknown Service for: 6 Original marks: Small indistinct marks visible on at least one knife blade, but not identified as British silver hallmarks Forks: No visible maker's/hallmark stamps Antique 12-piece mother-of-pearl handled cutlery set, comprising six knives and six matching forks, presented in a fitted wooden case. Each piece has an attractive genuine mother-of-pearl handle displaying the natural pearlescent colour, figuring and variation characteristic of the material. The handles are finished with ornate silver-coloured decorative ferrules. The six knives have broad steel blades, while the six matching forks have steel prongs/tines. The set would have been intended for dining use, most likely as a fruit or dessert service. The design and construction are consistent with late Victorian/Edwardian or early 20th-century cutlery, and the set is believed to date from around c.1900, although an exact date has not been established. Small struck marks are present on one of the knife blades, but these have not been positively identified as conventional British silver hallmarks. No marks have been found on the backs of the forks. For this reason, the decorative ferrules are described simply as silver-coloured metal and no claim is made that any part of the set is sterling silver. Presented in a fitted wooden case with blue fabric-lined interior and a brass-coloured shield-shaped cartouche to the lid. An attractive complete antique dining set, particularly suited to collectors of mother-of-pearl cutlery, period tableware and late Victorian/Edwardian dining accessories.