The silver treasures of Ickworth

Fine dining

A lavish wine-cooling system

Cisterns filled with water have been used to cool wine since the 14th century, and whilst these were often made from marble, pewter, copper and brass, some were made from silver. This example, dating from 1680, features an elaborately decorated neck. Placed on the floor at mealtimes, these ornate details would have been visible to those seated at the table.

One of the oldest silver cisterns still in existence

A sweet tooth for sugar

In Britain during the first half of the 18th century, sugar was customarily dispensed from casters as part of the dessert course. The 2nd Earl of Bristol, however, offered one of the first recorded instances of providing sugar in dishes at the table, reflecting Continental tastes. These four sugar dishes were provided as part of the Earl’s ambassadorial allocation to Spain, suggesting that the Spanish were just as fond of sugar as the English.

A new way to dispense sugar

Oysters on the silver scallop half shell

Silver scallop shells were often used for preparing and serving oysters in the same way that the actual oyster shell is still used in French cuisine. The six scallop dishes in this set, produced around 1756, have no feet to steady the individual shells and as such are a relatively simple example of this form. A contemporary recipe recommends that silver scallop shells like this should be filled with a lump of butter, breadcrumbs, an oyster and some black pepper before being put in the oven or in front of the fire to bake.

Silver scallop shell made in Turin

A fruitful use for grape scissors

These beautifully ornate scissors were developed specifically to cut grape stalks. They feature a right-angled cutting-edge to one blade, which allowed the severed stalk to be held and for the grapes to be carefully placed on the diner’s plate. These originally belonged to the 1st Marquess of Bristol and are made from silver, which has been gilded.

A fashionable accessory for serving grapes