Albany Pattern Silver Runcible Spoon, 1885

This is a very rare example of an antique silver runcible spoon (aka pickle or chutney spoon or spork) in the highly sought after Albany pattern. 

This Victorian spoon was made by one of the premier specialist silversmiths of the 19th Century - Elkington & Company. It is in excellent original condition with crisp double-struck decoration (i.e. on both sides of the stem) and has a small, discreet engraved crest to the reverse side.

The runcible spoon appears in two works by Edward Lear: The Owl & The Pussy Cat ("They dined on mince and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon") and  ("The Dolomphious Duck, who caught Spotted Frogs for her dinner with a Runcible Spoon").