Luncheon Fork
Datec. 1850
Mediumsilver
Dimensions6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm)
MarkingsMaker's mark stamped on the handle back: GRIFFEN PATENT 1846
Credit LineGift of Miss Jeanne Heard Hunter in memory of Emma Ingram Watkins.
Object number1992.9.1.2
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextGeorge M. Griffen bought the stock of Savannah silversmith Moses Eastman (1794–1850) in 1850, though he was mentioned as standing in for David B. Nichols (1791–1860) as early as 1845. Like Eastman, Griffen sold a wide variety of goods, including musical instruments and baskets, at his shop at the corner of Bryan and Whitaker streets, and he probably operated more as a retailer than a silversmith. Griffen has no presence in the historical record in Savannah after 1858.
This fork, with its Greek honeysuckle and leaves on the handle, demonstrates the enduring enthusiasm among wealthy 19th-century Americans for neoclassical motifs. Its engraved initial on the reverse of the handle indicates the fork’s face-down placement on the table for service.
