Bidspirit auction | A Pair of Victorian Silver

A Pair of Victorian Silver Mounted Blackbuck Horn Toasting Forks - A matching pair of colonial-era toasting forks, each featuring a natural spiralled horn handle and ornate metal mounts. The handles are constructed from the black, ringed horns of the Indian Blackbuck antelope (Antilope cervicapra). These horns are mounted with cast metal fork heads featuring decorative openwork. The openwork depicts heraldic or zoomorphic motifs, including stylized lions or mythical creatures flanking a central pierced shield or scroll-like element. The forks are finished with three tapered tines and are secured to the horn handles with conical metal ferrules. Each horn is terminating in a fitted metal end cap at the base. The metal components are finished with a dark surface patina consistent with silver-plate that has oxidised over time. These items are characteristic of 19th-century British Raj decorative arts, often produced in India for the European market as curiosity wares.