Featured Sterling Open Salts?

Hi all,
Found this pair of sterling and glass pieces, 1922 Adie Bros, 2 3/4" diameter x 1 1/4"H. I thought open salts, but maybe they are something else? I found this set in the case (link below) that are butter dishes, so now I'm not sure about mine. Mine are not perfect, not quite round on the bottoms
any information appreciated.
Thanks for looking


photo from the link


https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/7...hes-by-the-adie-brothers-birmingham-1927-sa/#

 

Can't imagine why butter dishes come with forks. The forks are very specialized. For what...?

 

The forks look like they are for gerkins or olives or some such.

 

That was my first thought too, but think the tines are too far apart, if I'm gauging the size correctly.

 

They were used to stab and then serve individual pats of butter. I only know this because my grandmother used one!

 

NICE open Salts!!!

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Interesting. Without a way to keep the butter pats chilled, I can see someone forking up a big glob of butter. Or could you only put in as many as would fit in a single layer?

 

She put the pats in a dish that rested on top of ice (also in a dish) so they were fine. Annoying when you want soft butter for your roll. Thankfully it was only used during holidays!

 

We always use a butter knife, but Ali Express tells me there is such a thing as a butter fork.

 

I thought the same, then found this when searching
Link to page below

https://www.onekingslane.com/live-love-home/flatware-guide/

 

thanks Aquitaine

 

Structurally this butter pick, which looks like it is meant for picking up small things, looks quite different from the other pair. They look like Pluto's bident to me!

 

Adorable salt cellars!

 

They are large open salts, likely sold as 'master' rather than 'individual', the dishes with the forks are quite a bit larger - small dishes like that were sold for different purposes, sometimes the same piece might be offered with a small knife for butter, a spoon for jam, or a fork for lemons (but can't recall seeing British lemon dishes or forks). Those with the set do have unusual round tines, and for me, the size seems more typical of lemon forks, butter pick forks tend to be a bit longer, but that said, manufacturers and retailers marketed items as whatever might sell them, and the same exact piece might show up under various names...

~Cheryl

 

Just adding some info from Osterberg's 'Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance' (1994):











With a bit from Kirk's 1938 catalog showing a fork offered as 'Lemon or Butter' in two sizes:




~Cheryl

 

Thanks for posting this....I learned a lot!!