Sugar tongs

approx. end of the 19th century

These were used to separate individual sugar lumps from the sugar cones popular at the time (similar to rock sugar).

"From the sugar cone to caster sugar.
Caster sugar used to be much more expensive than sugar cones. Today, it's the other way round. Caster sugar, which today is produced automatically in the centrifuge, had to be made in the past by grinding the sugar cones themselves.
It was a time-consuming and costly procedure.
The instruments needed for this purpose were: sugar hammer, sugar crusher, also called sugar knife or sugar cutter - clipping devices (casseurs) - hand pliers - mortars and gauze sieves with different mesh apertures."

Source: Sugar Museum in Berlin
Home page: www.dtmb.de/Zucker-Museum/