Art Deco Silver-Plated Asparagus Server by Christofle

From the personal collection of Patricia and Walter Wells, this Art Deco *pelle à asperge* by Christofle is a small object that carries real weight. "It is a very special piece," Patricia explains fondly. Silver-plated and beautifully made, the server has a slender, reeded handle that flows into a wide, triangular blade, pierced and engraved with a stylised basket-of-flowers motif that is unmistakably of its period. The openwork design is both decorative and entirely practical: the piercing allows excess water or butter to drain as the spears are lifted — a detail that reveals how seriously the French once approached the ritual of serving asparagus. Christofle has been synonymous with French silver plate since the nineteenth century, and this piece carries that heritage with ease. For anyone who loves French culinary culture and the considered pleasures of the table, this is a find.