Posted 13 years ago
mark
(118 items)
Yes, a napkin ring. The Victorian dinner table consisted of numerous items that no longer exist today. The napkin ring is one of those items. Other items no longer used are individual salt dips, knife rests, sugar cube trays and master salts.
This is Pitkin & Brook's "Ivy" pattern pictured on page 31 of their 1909 catalog. It is their standard grade so would not be expected to be signed.
Hello Karen, Thank you so much for the identification. Nice to run into someone who knows their cut glass!
Mark
At the American Brilliant Convention in Gettysburg, there was a program on napkin rings. They were actually used at more informal meals rather than the fancy ones. Their purpose was to identify the napkin (for the user) so it could be reused, since laundry was not done, but maybe once per week. The napkin ring was not only popular in private homes (to ID various family member's napkins) but used in boarding houses & at colleges.