Humans in this era take a lot for granted. Take tableware, for instance. It seems so rudimentary a concept. Today, no one would dare to sit down to a bowl of chili with no utensils, but in the grand scheme of things, tableware was a late development. After all, people had ten fingers for transferring food from plate to mouth. What could be better?

While it is true that there were forks used by the Greeks and referred to in the Bible, these were purely for serving food. No one thought of designing a fork to eat with until the wife of the Byzantine emperor gave it a shot in the 10th century. Spoons and knives were used by this time, but their use was restricted to the upper classes.

In later centuries, it became common for people to carry their personal flatware about with them. A special box called a cadena was used for this purpose. Even in the late 1600s in the French King Louis XIV’s court, titled dinner guests had their cadenas at the table. Meanwhile, the British were mocking the use of utensils as rather affected. In addition, the influential Catholic church frowned upon forks because their use seemed to spurn the good hands God gave man with which to eat.

Somehow, the use of etiquette won out, and today no one would dream of hosting a formal without setting the table with gleaming silver tableware. Among the finest is Robbe & Berking. Located in Flensburg, Germany, they have been creating elegant silver pieces since 1874.

Their designs are contemporary and clean in line. Without the fancy engraving and scrolling commonly found in older silver table items, the emphasis is on craftsmanship, letting the rich beauty of the silver star. Whether the Art Deco inspired tea service, the simple round serving tray, or the many sterling silver and silver plated utensil collections, Robbe & Berking exudes high quality. Some of their award winning silver pieces have found their way into the finest homes in the world, as well as into museums. If you want to set a gorgeous table, Robbe & Berking silver is a fine choice.