Being a nut pick nut, there is one pattern that has eluded me for quite some time. It is the “Siren” made by 1847 Rogers. The first reference I have to this pattern is in the 1891 Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett catalog:
You’ll notice that they are showing a nut pick for “Assyrian Head” (the second to bottom on the page) but not for “Siren” (fourth from bottom).
The September 11, 1891 issue of “The Tariff Review” featured an advertisement for the pattern:
And the Youth’s Companion publication offered a berry and nut spoon as a premium in 1894:
The 1896 Busiest House Catalog showed this pattern and the pieces available. You’ll note there are no nut picks listed.
What I find interesting are the subtle differences in the woman presented on the meat fork and spoon above. The woman on the fork has a different face, hairstyle, hand placement and bodice than the one on the spoon. And the woman on the fork has a flowing gown and beautiful bare feet which are absent on the spoon. Following is a comparison of some of the variations of images found on various pieces of “Siren”.
The 1897 Youth’s Companion offered nut picks as a premium.
At first I thought these picks were a variation of “Colonnade”:
The diagonal lines and beading were similar to “Colonnade”. But then I noticed some design elements to the nut picks being offered by Youth’s Companion that were identical to “Siren”. The woman is missing from the pattern, but the rest of the detail, the diagonal lines, leafy frond, flower and shield shaped cartouche, are all the same.
Following is a photo of the pick:
I have “Siren” nut picks available here at my Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/490903726/six-1847-rogers-bros-silver-plated-nut
It’s a lovely pattern and, you’re right, it’s so odd that the fork and spoon are designed differently–I wouldn’t have expected that at all! I am personally just glad that we have simplified table settings and no longer have a need for all these quirky specialty items!