Unpacked: The Victorian Sardine Box

The Victorian table setting was the definition of elaborate. With specialized serving dishes and utensils for a surprising number of foods, tableware sets could include hundreds of pieces. 

When canning was developed in the early 19th century, tinned sardines from France and Portugal became an exotic and expensive novelty for the wealthy. Serving this delicacy directly from the tin, however, would have been a breach of etiquette and they certainly couldn’t have that! So the Victorians did what they did best – they created a specific dish for serving these delectable delights. 

As the tinning and canning process became more advanced, tinned fish grew in popularity among the middle and working class. English potteries wasted no time creating their own vessels to highlight this desirable dish and quickly became one of the most popular specialty items made by the Staffordshire potteries. 

We are fortunate to have a number of these dishes available in our online shop. Don’t fret if tinned fish don’t whet your appetite. These precious boxes are great for storing jewelry or other small trinkets. Friend of Jane's Jenna keeps one on her nightstand and Kate has one holding rings and earrings in her bathroom. No matter what you choose to keep in yours, we have no doubt you'll love having this piece of table setting history. 

If you'd like to have your very own piece of Victorian table setting history, be sure to check out our collection of Sardine Dishes offered for sale here.