French inedible garnishes (attelets de racines)
Chromolithograph by A. Painlevé, designed by E. Ronjat
From Le livre de pâtisserie, by Jules Gouffé, 1873
Bibliothèque nationale de France

Popular in France in the 19th century, attelets (or hatelets) were ornamented skewers, more commonly made from silver or gold plate, that were inserted into food as a showpiece. The top end would display a fancy design of various motifs, such as coats of arms, hunting, or floral themes. They were usually inedible, although sometimes, smaller pieces of food were added to the top for additional decoration, and then the whole ensemble was pinned into the larger food item.