Palais Royal Mother of Pearl Fish Caviar or Salad servers with silver plated brass handles Antique French Grand Tour 1880

A lovely pair of antique French Palais Royal mother of pearl and silver plated fish, caviar or salad servers. The spoon element of this set is realistically carved in a fish shape and further decorated with engraving. The fork is similarly shaped and decorated but without the head. The silver plated handles have a fleur de lys or cross type terminals where the shells has been riveted into place.

These items are typical of those retailed in the shopping arcades under the colonnades of the Palais Royal in Paris in France. It is possibly a small memento of the Grand Tour. The set dates to the latter part of the 19th century circa 1880.

The spoon is approximately 9 3/4 inches (24.8 cm) long and the bowl is  3 3/4 inches (5.5 cm) long  and 2 1/2 inches (8.5cm) wide. Fork length 10 inches (25.5 cm).They both weigh a total of 59 grammes unpacked.

The servers are in good usable antique condition. There is some wear to the plate particularly on the joint of handle to shell on the fork.

This is a decorative antique Grand Tour memento from the Palais Royal and is suitable both for display and use and would be a great gift for a collector of spoons, flatware, seafood lover or a conchologist or shell collector.