Delightful Victorian antique silver plate toast rack / toastrack, holds 6 pieces of toast or English muffins! This useful silverplate toast rack harkens back to the Victorian days when toast would be served and passed around the table, with elegant silver toast racks similar to this.
The design incorporates the center divider in a diamond shape, attached with a ball fitting, and being 2" taller to be used as a handle. Today, it can be used as intended as a toast rack, or to hold nicely folded linen napkins, stationery or even mail!
A toast rack, or toastrack, is a holloware serving piece having vertical partitions (usually from five to eight in number) connected to a flat base, used for holding slices of toast. It often has a central ring handle for passing round the table. Toast racks in silver appear to date no earlier than the early 1780's when they were known as toast trays. A Victorian toast rack normally held six slices of toast, the racks rising from a rectangular base made from round rod with a central strengthening bar and four ball feet.
The dividers were often made from silver wires, and these in-turn were soldered to either a wire-work or solid base that sat on four feet. Sometimes the base is separate and was used to dispose of any crumbs that fell. Some ingenious designs were made including expanding or folding types (so as to take up less space). Other toast racks incorporated egg-cups or receptacles for jam or marmalade. The toast rack's design and shape usually follows the prevailing fashion of the time.
This antique Victorian silverplate toast rack, or toastrack, is in good condition. There is silverplate thinning along the entire rack, though almost all of the original silverplate remains! A bit of silverplate wear noted on the four ball feet, but especially along the center support.
This Victorian antique silverplate toast rack weighs 8.6 oucnes and measures 6.25" long x 3.25" and stands 3.5", 5.5" tall at the tip of the handle. It is unmarked.
A1580 - Antique Victorian Silver Plate Toast Rack / Toastrack Fancy
$75.00
