Pair of Antique French Silver Plate Serving Tongs

A duo of silver plate serving tongs that spent decades on the table of Patricia and Walter Wells's Paris apartment. One is a scissor-action tong with a broad spatula end engraved with a stylised tulip — elegant and purposeful, made for serving a slice of tart or a portion of terrine. The other pairs a spoon and fork, the classic French salad server design, its handles scrolled and gently curved in the manner of nineteenth-century flatware. The tulip engraving on the spatula tong is particularly fine. Together they make a handsome pair for a shared platter: cheese, charcuterie, roasted vegetables, a composed salad. Display them in a ceramic crock or a wide-mouthed jug on a kitchen shelf, or lay them across a serving board as both tool and ornament.