While English sugar tongs are available in a wide variety of styles and in abundance from the early 18th century on, the collector of Austrian sugar tongs is limited to 19th century production from about 1820 to 1880, because a) due to the draconian laws during the Napoleonic Wars very little old silver escaped the melting pot and b) towards the end of the 19th century silversmiths did not regard sugar tongs as single serving pieces anymore but fashioned them as part of tea-and coffee sets or larger flatware services.

Fig. 1 Sugar tongs following the French style: Prague before 1824

This is the oldest pair of sugar tongs in my collection; it is a Prague example dating to before 1824 (13 cm long, tax free stamp B above F, Prague control mark 182?, master mark IL). It clearly follows the French style of the period even though it does not measure up to the elegant sophistication and fine workmanship of the French tongs. (14 cm, control and discharge Paris 1809-38, master mark of Francois-Marie Lecour). Pierced decoration of various flower and leaf motifs enjoyed a long-lived popularity on Austrian silver and was used on everything from plates to fruit baskets. Fig. 2 Sugar tongs, Prague before 1824 and Paris 1809-38, master mark of Francois-Marie Lecour (on the right)

Fig. 3 A plain Austrian example, dating to Linz 1827 (left) looking almost like English tongs from 1800 to about 1820

Left is a plain Austrian example, dating to Linz 1827 (14cm, master mark AR conjoined) which looks almost like English tongs from 1800 to about 1820. To emphasize this point three English tongs are shown here: London 1801 by George Wintle, London 1816 by Edward Fernell and London 1810 by Wm. Eley, Wm. Fearn and William Chawner. Due to the lack of extant examples, meaningful remarks re Austrian sugar tongs of the early 19th century cannot be made, and it is unclear if French or English influences dominated. W. Neuwirth shows yet another early type of Viennese sugar tongs (note 1) - specifically an 1817 plain bow-shaped pair made by F. Würth with applied medallions of classical allegoric figures. Generally this style is more identified with sugar tongs originating in German lands. Shown here is a low-grade example with leaf-shaped grips and decorated with an almost identical medallion as the Würth tongs (marked 12, master mark "?IL", 16 cm) and two other German sugar tongs with applied medallions, one marked with master mark CFB only on each arm (17cm) and the other marked 13 and master mark D above FZ (15 cm). According to recent research, these medallions were produced by Bruckmann & Söhne, Heilbronn - a firm which made many types of these findings and supplied them to the trade (note 2).

Fig. 4 An 1817 sugar tongs made by F. Würth with applied medallion of classical allegoric figures (left) and two other German examples with applied medallion

From the 1830s on distinctive Austrian styles were developed. Fig. 5 shows an exclusively Austrian type, featuring a flat spring mechanism plus an additional steel spring inserted between the sturdy arms. This pair is marked on both arms with the Viennese control mark, once overstamping the master mark, which was obviously a mistake of the assay office. Maddeningly both control marks are stamped in so sloppily so that the production year is not fully legible - but many sugar tongs of this type are known and generally made around 1830.

Fig. 5 Sugar tongs featuring a flat spring mechanism plus an additional steel spring inserted between the sturdy arms

A popular style in use about three decades from circa 1840 to 1870, are the sugar tongs with bulbous - shaped arms, the bow often separated from the arms by little silver spheres. From left to right is a plain unmarked example with an inside inscription 1824/1851 - maybe an anniversary present, a Viennese example dating to 1844, master mark TD, another one dating to 1850, master mark MK and two sugar tongs made by Christian Sander, stamped with the early Diana head control mark in use from 1866-1872. This style is also often decorated with round disks on top of the bow, with either chased or die-stamped decoration featuring a middle knob so typical for all types of Austrian sugar tongs. A wide range of decoration is found: pierced, flat chased or engraved, but they were also made plain or with various folds in their bulbous shaped arms.

Fig. 6 Sugar tongs with bulbous - shaped arms

Fig. 7 Sugar tongs decorated with round disks on top of the bow

From about 1840 over-sized sugar tongs - up to 31 cm! - pressed or die-stamped out of thin sheets of silver with remarkably intricate designs became popular. Swans, angels, roses, acanthus leaf or complicated scroll patterns abound. Cheaply produced, they instantly increased the circle of consumers. Now even members of the lower middle class could afford a silver piece, acquiring with it the illusion of being surrounded by fine and expensive utensils previously reserved for the upper classes. Shown here from left to right is a Viennese pair, dating to 1856, master mark AB, with cast flower finial - maybe matching an equally elaborately decorated sugar casket, another Viennese pair, control mark 1852, master mark AB in a complicated swan pattern, a Viennese example made by the same master (AB), dating to 1865 featuring a pseudo-baroque scroll pattern and two examples by Jacob Weiss, one Vienna 1840 and a 183? example decorated with the ever popular rose decor. These excessive concoctions are items which have become almost nonfunctional, and whose only purpose must have been to serve as showy prestige items on the Sunday coffee table. Most of these tongs are equipped with steel springs, inserted devices which serve as protection mechanism against over-extending the arms. Even if tongs of this type are found without steel springs, the little brackets inside the arms are proof that they just have been lost. Thin and flimsy, these types of sugar tongs are seldom found without repairs, since they are naturally prone to breaks and splits. Fig. 8 Over-sized sugar tongs with remarkably intricate designs (top left) Fig. 8A The little brackets inside the arms proofing that the steel springs have been lost (bottom left)

Fig. 9 Two compass-shaped sugar tongs

The sober styling of the compass-shaped sugar tongs must have been a welcome relief for customers who looked for simpler designs. Even though introduced around 1850, most of the compass shaped sugar tongs date to after 1866. Flat chased, acid etched or engine turned, their decoration matches contemporary coffee- and tea sets. They all have hollow arms and a spring mechanism in a disk-shaped casket; some are equipped with knob finials. Fig. 9 shows an early example (16.5 cm), Viennese control mark for 185? with shell-shaped grips, the other pair features bright-cut decoration and is unmarked except for two later bird's wing marks. Fig. 10 shows an engine turned example, marked with the early Diana head for 1866-72, and two small assay office remarks for Vienna, apparently no master mark (17 cm) and an acid-etched and engraved pair (16 cm), Diana head mark 1866-1872, master mark JZ and two tiny illegible assay office remarks.

Fig. 10 An engine turned example and an acid-etched and engraved pair

Filigree sugar tongs were made throughout the century; the filigree workers had their own guild and their wares were almost never marked. Austrian sugar tongs are distinctive though as they are entirely formed of densely worked filigree sections, only the grips and little plaques - providing a place for monograms - are solid silver. For style comparison two typical German filigree tongs (on the right) are shown, one is stamped BERNING and 12, next to a silver-gilt pair made in Nuremberg by Johann Samuel Schönberg, ca.1820. Note the much looser filigree patterns soldered into solid silver frames. Most of the German filigree tongs are marked. Fig. 11 Two Austrian Filigree sugar tongs (on the left) and two German filigree tongs (on the right)

There are always a few pieces in a collection which cannot be neatly put into one category or the other. Fig. 12 shows a one-of-a-kind type, marked with Viennese control marks 18?8, master FT, 18 cm, it weighs a whopping 84.7 g. (Compare this to the 58.5 g of the angel-patterned, 31 cm long, sugar tongs shown in Fig.8) A spring mechanism is fitted into a rectangular box with knob finial. The arms are curved in a pseudo baroque style; the grips are four leaf clover-shaped just like the ones of another extravagant example, Fig.13, 17.5 cm long and marked with unclear control marks for 18?7, double eagle and master mark HE.

Fig. 12 One-of-a-kind type, marked with Viennese control marks	Fig. 13 An extravagant example marked with unclear control marks for 18?7

A novel construction features an intricate snake pattern ending in two claws, which extended measures 16.5 cm. It is only marked with the recharge mark for Krakow 1806, so must have been made before this date. The elegant engine turned example (19.5 cm extended) dates to after 1872, master mark not legible. In American silver terminology this type is called "lazy tongs" (note 3), and enabled the user to reach food on the farther side of the table. It is up to discussion if the tongs shown here were used as sugar tongs. But in any case, since they are interesting as novelties, I wanted to include them here. (left) Fig. 14 and 14A Sugar tongs featuring an intricate snake pattern ending in two claws (right) Fig. 15 and 16 Engine turned sugar tongs of the type called in American silver terminology "lazy tongs"

In ending a few words about Austrian silver marks:
From 1806 the assaying of silver has been executed by the Austrian Mint in its various assay offices. Silver is marked with a maker’s mark and an official assay office mark (control mark). The mark is called "Radlpunze" for its resemblance to a wheel. Two standards of silver were allowed, the common 13 lötig/812.5 fine (Fig. 17) and the more rarely used 15 lötig/937.5 fine (Fig. 18). Only the mark of 1813 employs a scalloped lower surround (Fig.19). From 1814 to 1866 the form of the Radlpunze (Fig. 20) remains the same.

Fig. 17: 13 lötig/812.5 fine mark	Fig. 18: 15 lötig/937.5 fine mark	Fig. 19: 13 lötig/812.5 fine mark employing a scalloped lower surround (1813)	Fig. 20: Radlpunze (1814-1866)

Silver made prior to 1824 includes various recharge marks and tax free marks – a detailed discussion of these marks is omitted here, since sugar tongs bearing these marks are extremely rare. One of the most appealing features of the Radlpunze is that it contains information about the production place and year. In this connection it is important to know that the mark for 1807 was in use until 1809, the mark for 1810 was used until 1812, and the one for 1840 until 1842 (note 4). Consequently, all items bearing the year marks of 1808, 1809, 1811, 1812, 1841, and 1842 can be regarded as fakes. Faked sugar tongs are literally unknown, but the so-called China silver mark should be mentioned (Fig. 21).

This mark completely resembles the Radlpunze but features instead of the 13 the letters CH. The mark was introduced by a big Viennese firm at the trade exhibition of 1844 and was used to mark plated wares. This information might be only of academic interest; I have not encountered any "China-silber" during more than 30 years of collecting. Still, items with this mark seem to be on the market - one pair of sugar tongs, bearing this mark next to a GS mark is shown in Neuwirth's Wiener Silber 1780-1866 (note 5).

Fig. 21: China-silber mark

From 1866 silver is stamped with the Diana head mark and master mark. From 1867 - 1872 small control stamps for the various assay offices were stamped next to the earlier Diana head mark. Puzzling is the marking of some obviously antique sugar tongs with two bird wing’s marks, which was in use after WWI for foreign silver. A 1954 order of the Austrian Ministry of Finance decreed that the mark for foreign silver should be stamped on all private silver which came into the trade after 1954 (note 6). Most of the master marks are two or three capital letter combinations, but single letter maker’s marks also exist. No regulation ordering the uniqueness of master marks existed; therefore the definite ascription of a master mark is sometimes difficult. Some masters stamped their wares with full name marks, but this applies rarely to sugar tongs. The double eagle next to the master mark was a privilege given to firms which served as purveyor of the court. But the double eagle was also used as part of the mark of firms which were registered companies or had a national factory authorization. The quality of the items usually points the collector in the right direction in this respect. This is only a very short summary of data which are known about Austrian silver marking. Much new research has been published. Interested collectors may want to consult the bibliography below for further study.
 

ENDNOTES
1) Waltraud Neuwirth: Wiener Silber 1780-1866, Vol.II, page 422/423
2) Bruckmann & Söhne, Silber aus Heilbronn für die Welt, 1805 – 1973,(Silver from Heilbronn for the world) Exhibition catalogue 2002, page 86
3) William P. Hood Jr. et al: Tiffany Silver Flatware 1845-1905: When Dining Was an Art, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2000, page 166, Fig. 249
4) Reitzner, Viktor: Edelmetalle und deren Punzen, Vienna 1952, page 228
5) Neuwirth, ibid, page 450, Fig. 751
6) Neuwirth, ibid, page 415

BIBLIOGRAPHIY
- Knies, Karl: Die Punzierung in Österreich, Vienna 1896
___________: Wiener Goldschmiedezeichen, Vienna 1905
- Latour, Graf Vinzenz: "Altes Wiener Silber" in Kunst und Kunsthandwerk, 1899, p. 417 f.
- Neuwirth, Waltraud: Wiener Gold- und Silberschmiede 1867-1922, 2 volumes, Vienna 1976/77
___________________: Wiener Gold- und Silberschmiede 1781-1822, 3 volumes, Vienna 1996, 2000, 2001
___________________: Wiener Silber 1780-1866, Vol.1 Snuffboxes, 1988
___________________: Wiener Silber 1780-1866, Vol.II: Sugar Castors, Sugar Bowls, Sugar Vases, Sugar Tongs, Vienna 1989
___________________: Wiener Silber, Viennese Silver, Namens-und Firmenpunzen 1781 - 1866, Makers’ and company marks,                                     Vienna 2002
___________________: "Wiener Silber, Anmerkungen zu Namens- und Firmenpunzen", in Weltkunst, 15.October 1998
- Parenzan, Peter: Ehemalige Hofsilber- und Tafelkammer, Vienna, Bundesmobiliendepot, 1986
- Rohrwasser, Alfred: Österreichs Punzen, Edelmetall Punzierung von 1524-1987, Vienna 1987
- Schmuttermeier, Elisabeth: Wiener Gold- und Silberschmiede von 1781 bis 1921 und ihre Punzen/ Viennese Gold- and                                               Silversmiths from 1781 to 1921 and their marks, MAK, Vienna 2005, CD