[GSlob]

Wasn't a table fork invented in 15th century? I could be mistaken about the date, though.

[llevrok]

I recall the chinese may have invented it too.

[NZerFromHK]

China had used forks in ancient times - in around Confucius's era and earlier. Knives were not used on tables though. At the time the forks would be more like the current two-pronged forks that you see being used to pick up snacks like cocktail food types, rather than three- or four-pronged versions we see in Western homes in our day.

Chopsticks later supplanted forks at home uses. Up until about 15 years ago there was a strong prejudice of using chopsticks vis-a-vis forks and knives among Hong Kong Chinese minds. A saying goes that "Chopsticks are the eating utensils that symbolize peace, while forks are the leftovers from the primitive warrior utensils used by barbarians." They have now disappeared in HK but still common in mainland China and even Taiwan.