Watson "Bacchante" Sterling Silver Place Fork

Measuring 6 7/8" long and weighing approximately 1.0 T. oz., this place, sometimes referred to as a regular, fork was made by Watson whose Mechanics Division pennant emblem and the word "Sterling" appear on the handle backside.

The pattern is Bacchante, issued in 1895. It features a nude female figure holding a bay in one arm and a cluster of grapes, a reference to Bacchus, the God of wine, and the source of the pattern name, in the other arm.

The image is modeled after a statue designed by Frederick William MacMonnies originally given to the Boston Public Library in 1894 by its architect, Charles Follen McKim.

The libertine subject was offensive to the prudish sensibilities of some Boston citizenry of the time and created something of a public outcry. As a result the gift was withdrawn and subsequently presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

(Boston's public attitudes having become less reactionary over time, replicas were eventually placed in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and as intended, at the Public Library).

Watson, located not forty miles south of Boston in the Providence, Rhode Island area, contemporaneously developed a line of silver flatware based on this image, apparently undeterred by the controversy, or possibly capitalizing on it.

Interestingly there is a script "MLH" engraved on the front heel of the tine area, and the name "Rob" inscribed on the handle backside. The subject matter of the piece prompts speculation about the particulars of the relationship between MLH and Rob. Perhaps there is a romantic component to this that transcends the silver.

The handle front has a satin gray, aka butler, finish, while the backside has a bright finish.

In choice condition, this retains clear pattern detail, showing no polishing wear or damage. The tines are straight and pointed, with only faint tip wear and a few shallow knife cuts on the backside.

Sidebar: Watson also produced a similar design identified as Phoebe and there is uncertainty about whether this is a separate pattern or a variant of Bacchante.