{"id":79823,"date":"2016-09-19T18:18:58","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T22:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=79823"},"modified":"2021-12-15T01:01:45","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T06:01:45","slug":"can-guess-mystery-object-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/can-guess-mystery-object-used\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Guess What this Mystery Object Was Used For?"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 1stdibs, we see beautiful and historically valuable examples of art and design each day \u2014 some of which intrigue us, baffle us or prove that we haven\u2019t seen it all. In The Study\u2019s Mystery Objects column, we look at an extraordinary offering from the 1stdibs inventory and reveal its intended (but not totally obvious) purpose.<\/em><\/p>\n\"1158596_l\"

<\/p>\n

A directional and avant-garde piece of headwear? A loosely handled ceramic stool? A vase aborted midway through construction? None of the above. This creamware vessel from the late 18th century would have been found not in a home’s living room or dressing closet, but instead in its kitchen. <\/span><\/p>\n

But what exactly is it? A <\/span>three-tier pierced culinary curd mold<\/span><\/a>, says Paul Vandekar, an Englishman whose Maryknoll, New York gallery <\/a><\/span>Vandekar<\/span><\/a> carries the item. \u201cIn the 18th and 19th centuries, molds were used for baking desserts,\u201d he explains. \u201cThis one is unusual because it has several levels and is open, so [the mold] would be made wet, and all the extra liquid could extrude out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If the phrase \u201cwet mold\u201d puts you off, consider the ancient Scottish recipe for which this mold was used: hatted kit. Made from milk with sugar and a dash of flavorings like cinnamon and nutmeg, hatted kit was essentially fresh, soft-curd cheese, not unlike cr\u00e8me<\/span> fra\u00eeche<\/span>. It was all the rage in the Scottish Highlands, and some culinary experts believe that the dish was originally made by milking a cow directly into it in \u2014 the better to put a \u201chat\u201d on the kit, as they say. According to Vandekar, hatted kit could also be made from buttermilk and fresh milk in a milk-based pail, which would then be transferred to a mold like the one pictured here. \u201cIt tastes like fresh cheese served with fruit,\u201d he says brightly.<\/p>\n

Vandekar\u2019s mold, which features the shape of Golden Carp fish in the center, also tells another story about the United Kingdom in 1785, the year he estimates the item was manufactured in Leeds. With its plain ivory color, the mold is a striking example of creamware, a type of pottery in use at the time. \u201cBasically, it was just a basic clay with a thin glaze over the surface, so it looked like porcelain, but it was incredibly fragile,\u201d he says. Though it wasn\u2019t particularly heavy, it did \u201chave a density to it, but at the same time, that\u2019s the beauty of it; it\u2019s not heavy like porcelain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creamware\u2019s fineness and durability can be credited to Josiah Wedgewood, an English potter who founded his pottery works, Wedgewood<\/a>, in the 1750s. According to the Wedgewood Museum, it was around this time that the pottery company transformed \u201cthis earthenware body into a highly refined ceramic material,\u201d which was then sold cheap and cast in a brilliant glaze <\/span>similar to that of majolica<\/span><\/a>. Among the most versatile ceramic materials out there, creamware, the museum says, was used for \u201ceverything from elaborate and ornamental vases to humble utilitarian wares.\u201d \u201cEnglish creamware went to India, Russia, Turkey, all over the world,\u201d Vandekar adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

A big helping of hatted kit might hold a certain kitschy appeal with modern-day foodies, but most customers probably don’t know how the mold should be used, Vandekar says. But that\u2019s okay. He insists that it\u2019s part of the charm. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like a work of art when you see an actual image of it,\u201d he says. \u201cFrom the outside, it looks like a piece of modern art, and that\u2019s what\u2019s so great about it. It just has this wonderful sort of presence to it.\u201d For more lovely examples of olden-day creamware, we recommend visiting Vandekar\u2019s 1stdibs store, where a <\/span>Wedgewood food warmer<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>set of undecorated plates<\/span><\/a> are up for grabs. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At 1stdibs, we see beautiful and historically valuable examples of art and design each day \u2014 some of which intrigue us, baffle us or prove that we haven\u2019t seen it all. In The Study\u2019s Mystery Objects column, we look at an extraordinary offering from the 1stdibs inventory and reveal its intended (but not totally obvious) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":79833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15522093],"tags":[172,455963,7360893,1312,7360903,7360883,7360913],"dibs-categories":[],"dibs-designs":[],"dibs-styles":[],"dibs-creators":[],"dibs-sellers":[],"class_list":["post-79823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-furniture","tag-antiques","tag-ceramics","tag-creamware","tag-mystery-object","tag-porcelain","tag-serveware","tag-wedgewood"],"acf":{"subtitle":""},"dibs_designs_tags":null,"dibs_sellers_tags":null,"dibs_creators_tags":null,"dibs_styles_tags":null,"dibs_categories_tags":null,"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/wp-content\/uploads\/1158596_l-e1474323512992-500x450.jpeg","post_title":"Can 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