Bright-cut Engraved Serving Tongs

As pairs of serving tongs go, this is as an attractive pair as you are likely to find. They are beautifully engraved along both arms with feather edging with the central part of each arm turned 90 degrees. The lower arms have a corrugated effect to aid grip and there is a lip to the end of one. The arms are sprung from a central pivot and the spring remains in good working order. There is a central bar to prevent over stretching.

The upper arms are both appropriately marked for "IB" who was a specialist maker of this form of tongs (both in this size and the smaller sugar tongs size), plus the clear incuse duty mark helps accurately date the piece to between 1784 and 1786. One arm also bears an attractively engraved double crest of a seated hound and a hand holding a dagger.