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In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, nutmeg was considered a stimulant as well as an aid to digestion and was added to a variety of foods and drinks. Beginning around 1780, it became fashionable to carry one’s own nutmeg to spice up beverages such as mulled wine. Silversmiths, some of whom specialized in producing nutmeg graters, responded by introducing a range of inventive shapes, like this example.

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