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Fork with Mule-Head Finial
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This two-tined silver fork has a faceted handle that terminates in a mule head, perhaps a nod to its use for meat— whether cooking, serving, or eating. Forks from the premodern Mediterranean are rare, only known through a small number of surviving examples. Extant forks are relatively large and often bronze, making this silver example still more rare.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFork with Mule-Head Finial, 375–425 CE. Italy, Roman. Silver; overall: 0.5 x 20.4 cm (3/16 x 8 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Alexander, 1987.210
