These are a beautiful; pair of tongs. They are in standard Scottish curved fiddle pattern style with scallop bowls. They are marked with the maker's mark "AG" for Alexander Gairdner but are also marked "ELG", for "E.L. Gairdner" as a retailer. They have the incuse duty mark, clearly dating them for 1785. They have a lovely inscription carved around the inside of the arms: "In remembrance of my mother I give you these tongs Augneys Steedman to Ingo Steedman"