Asparagus tongs - Silver - 1930-1940

This item is a versatile vintage piece of tableware, typically made of silver (or silvered metal) and stainless steel, functioning as both grape-cutting scissors and nutcrackers (or crustacean tongs).

The upper sharp tip is used to cleanly cut the membranes of grape clusters without damaging the grains, while the curved, knurled sections just below the pivot are designed to crack the shells of dried fruit or the claws of crustaceans. This type of serving cutlery, finished with elegantly decorated handles (often in English or Empire style), was a typical element of luxury tableware sets of the twentieth century, produced by historic silversmith brands such as Greggio.