Rattail Silver Runcible Spoon, 1875 Chawner & Co

This is a very scarce example of an antique Victorian silver runcible spoon in Hanoverian Rattail pattern. The period where runcible spoons were especially fashionable in Victorian times only just overlaps with the re-emergence in the popularity of rattail pattern towards the end of the century and so few examples exist.

Runcible spoons were used for serving pickles and chutney and made famous by Edward Lear in his nonsense rhymes - The Owl & The Pussy Cat ("They dined on mince and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon") and Twenty-Six Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures ("The Dolomphious Duck, who caught Spotted Frogs for her dinner with a Runcible Spoon").

Made by the top specialist spoonmaker George Adams of Chawner & Company, this hallmarked silver runcible spoon remains in fine condition.