Serving up: silver slices

In the 18th century, dining was an elaborate affair. Hundreds of utensils were developed for eating, each carefully designed with form and aesthetics in mind, and intended for a specific use or food. The 'pudding trowel' was designed to serve sweet treats, and consisted of a triangular blade that was typically pierced and sawn to a variety of designs. This device was soon also used to serve fish, as the decorative openwork allowed the juices to drain through, making serving much easier. The first 'knight slices', intended solely for serving fish, were recorded in 1730. As serving fish at the dining table became increasingly fashionable, silversmiths decorated the utensils with marine themes. Silver was preferred over copper or tinned iron as it did not affect the fish's delicate flavour.

The V&A has an extraordinary collection of slices compiled by the late Benton Seymour Rabinovitch (1919 – 2014), a chemistry professor and silversmith who was fascinated by antique silver cutlery, particularly silver servers and slices. This fascination lead him to an unusual commissioning project. From the 1980s to the mid-2000s, he challenged 99 contemporary silversmiths, based in Britain and North America, to create their own take on a server, fish or cake slice. His only stipulation was that the slice must be a "broad-bladed serving piece", predominantly made of silver, and of a certain weight. Otherwise, the silversmiths had free rein to design their own take on a serving slice. The resulting collection is remarkably diverse and presents a vivid snapshot of contemporary silversmithing of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Rabinovitch's unwavering focus on a singular utensil provides an extensive and fascinating survey of modern artistic responses to the same brief.

Fish slice by Ros Conway

The English master enameller Ros Conway makes playful use of the fish slice's typically flat blade, transforming it by enamelling two brilliantly coloured tiger prawns onto the heart-shaped surface. The silver handle was electroformed in the shape of a curling shell to continue the underwater theme. The handle's matt surface has been achieved by brushing the silver with abrasive tools to dull down its natural shine.

Cake slice by Susan Ewing

With sharp, serrated edges on every component, this cake slice could inflict serious harm if grasped carelessly. Susan Ewing's highly original, postmodern design is reminiscent of a toothed sawblade and was inspired by the moving parts and mechanisms of heavy machinery – far removed from the twee associations of serving and eating cake with silverware. Delicate details include the sand-blasted spiral along the handle's length and a small, cast silver hand hanging from the tip.

Fish slice by Robert Butler

Robert Butler celebrates the sculptural qualities of silver with this marine-themed slice. The typically flat and rounded edges of the slice have here been pierced and chased (hammered) to playfully resemble a flounder fish. The handle is cast to represent the food chain of this marine animal – its tail is pulled into the tentacular grip of a squid, itself attacked by a writhing eel, whose own tail is being nibbled by a fish.

Fish slice by Candace Beardslee

The blade of this fish slice was modelled on the shape of a clam shell known as punctate pandora and includes the shell's characteristic oval holes along its right edge. The blade's irregular surface was achieved with a cross-peen hammer. The handle is cast to resemble strands of bull kelp, a type of seaweed that can grow up to 100 feet underwater. Candace Beardslee's response to Rabinovitch's brief captures her love of the sea at Puget Sound, an area of interconnected marine waterways and basins in the Pacific Northwest of America.

Fish slice by Jane Short MBE

This fish slice offers an exploration of the colours and imagery of the sea: a mermaid in profile emerges from the watery depths and blows seven fish up along the handle. The enamelling is complimented by the swirling waves of the engraved silver along the edges of the slice. Jane Short trained both as a jeweller and silversmith, and has been enamelling on silver since 1974 using the traditional techniques of champlevé and basse-taille.

Fish slice by Marion Kane

The sculptural qualities of this fish slice are reminiscent of a range of marine imagery, such as an empty mussel shell or the rounded form of a seal sunning itself on the beach. The contrast of colour and surface textures are typical of Marion Kane's work, who likes to combine matt and polished areas. The gold 'freckles' along the slice's hollow base were achieved by inlaying gold sheet using the traditional Korean gilding technique known as Keum-Boo.

Seafood server by Florence Baker-Wood

This seafood server by the American silversmith Florence Baker-Wood shows the extraordinary versatility of working with a flat sheet of silver. Intended as a scooper or lifter of seafood, such as shrimp or small clams, it can be grasped at its narrowest area in the centre, or at either end to accommodate the left or right hand. The rippling surface texture was achieved with the use of various hammers to create the impression of moving water.

Fish slice by Anthony Elson

Anthony Elson's fish slice is modelled on a gulper, a deep-sea eel which lives one mile beneath the surface. Its curled and looping tail gives the server real liveliness, while forming a good grip for the handle. The gulper is also known as the pelican eel due to its scoop-like jaw, and here its immense mouth spans almost the entire length of the blade, giving the fish slice a menacing quality. The polished silver of the fluted fins contrasts against the matt black surface of the oxidised silver, evoking the wet slickness of this deep sea-dwelling creature.

Cake slice by Stuart Devlin

Stuart Devlin designed this cake slice quite literally to resemble a slice of cake, favouring a light-hearted, playful approach over the formality which is often associated with silverware. The highly figurative, partially gilded slice of cake features a 'glacé icing' polished surface. The cake itself can be easily removed with the twist of two screws – disguised by the piped 'cream' swirls – to ingeniously transform the cake slice into a completely functional utensil.

Fish slice by Martin Baker

Martin Baker is a skilled caster and has used the technique to create this striking server which centres on the form of a crab as the blade. The claw of the crab grips the handle and is so realistic that the person using it might get their fingers caught if they aren't quick enough at serving! The underwater theme continues with strands of gilded seaweed winding up the handle and barnacles crowning the top.

Fish slice by Andrew S. Cooperman

This intricate slice was inspired by an ancient squid-like form from the Cretaceous Era, with the blade becoming the squid’s body, and the interweaving strips of gold and silver tentacles forming the handle. The sharp point and serrated edge evoke the menacing presence of deep-sea creatures. It is beautifully embellished with gold details, a diamond capped pin that secures the blade to the handle, and a grey pearl finial (ornament).

Fish slice by Julie Whitelaw

Revelling in the possibilities of silversmithing, Julie Whitelaw is inspired by silver's textural properties. Here she aimed to capture a fusion between the modern and the ancient, by creating a strange marine organism with overtones of a modern appliance. The futuristic, utilitarian lines of the server have been enhanced by the regular piercing of lunettes (domes) with impressed gold wire along the surface of the blade. The sculptural handle is made of 28 soldered elements to give the impression of an articulated form.

Fish slice by Ane Christensen

This sculptural 'one metre fish slice' is so-called because Ane Christensen formed it from a single strip of 16-gauge sterling silver. The wider end of the strip forms the blade, which then curls into loops, to form a supple yet sturdy handhold. The looped silver appears effortlessly formed, but it would have required skilled metal-working to achieve this shape. The strip of silver narrows down to a tip, on which Christensen has impressed the silver hallmarks.

Fish slice by Komelia Homgja Okim

The decorative design of Komelia Homgja Okim's fish slice is intentionally reminiscent of a human figure. The handle forms an abstract torso with outstretched arms, composed of a dense pattern of angular shapes and curves. Strips of flat silver sheet were formed and soldered together to create the handle's details, while the circles of textured gold foil draw the eye up to the 'head' of the slice.

Fish slice by Christopher Lawrence

Though the blade of this fish slice is plain, its handle is an ornate angler fish glistening with gilding and two large ruby eyes. Its open mouth reveals needle teeth and a pearl on a line – bait to lure potential prey. The position of the angler fish may at first seem impractical, but the handle swivels back on its silver support to allow for compact storage. The glamour and intricacy of this fish slice is enhanced by a green marble stand.

Server by Nancy Megan Corwin

This oxidised silver server reveals Nancy Megan Corwin's interest in natural phenomena. The overall shape represents a blocked stream, its handle covered with botanic litter such as leaves and flowers. The design of the largest leaf is based on a pomegranate. The textured surface is covered with intricate details, including copper and bronze elements, while the use of black pearl, quartz crystal, pyrite and cornelian provide colour.

All objects were given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Professor B. Seymour Rabinovitch.

See the entire collection in Explore the Collections.