Collection Online
Fish trowel
Medium
earthenware
Measurements
5.3 × 11.4 × 29.5 cm
Accession Number
2024.368
Department
International Decorative Arts
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Patricia Begg OAM Bequest, 2024
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work

The eighteenth century saw the development of specialised pieces of cutlery intended for the serving of particular foods. This earthenware spatula was intended for the serving of fish, and the choice of material for such an implement was intentional. Fish was normally served with lemon juice, an acid that caused the discolouration of steel implements, in turn transmitting a metallic taste to the food. Ceramic or silver implements, unaffected by food acids, avoided such problems.