Southern basket-of-flowers tongs by Gale & Hayden, 1846

Fiddle arms with flared shoulders, oval nips, feathered script mono L H A on bend; 6-1/4" in length. Good weight. Condition is excellent. Marked on one arm G&H -- Gale, who manufactured the piece in NYC, and Hayden, who retailed the piece in Charleston, SC. Marked on the other arm with the date of manufacture -- 1846.