We often feature mid-twentieth century items in our blog posts, but we also have a real passion for old country furniture.
We picked up this wonderful piece of rustic kitchenalia – we think it’s an antique potato masher.
Perhaps Irish in origin, although we’re not sure at this stage… a bit more research is required. It’s a very unusual piece.
BLOG UPDATE: 22nd June. We now think that the object in question is actually a cheese press. The wet cheese, contained within a cloth is pressed by the wooden block, the excess liquid draining through the holes. We’re still not sure about the country of origin. British/Irish is still likely, although continental Europe is a possibility – and we were also sent pictures of a very similarly designed piece which was in a U.S. auction of farm machinery. (Thanks to Erik Schepers).
If you like cottage interiors or country furniture, these books are well worth a look:
Irish Country Furniture (Amazon UK)
Irish Country Furniture (Amazon US)
English Cottage Interiors (Amazon UK) English Country Furniture (Amazon UK)
English Cottage Interiors (Amazon US) English Country Furniture (Amazon US)
Colossal job changing so many pics! Good luck to you!
I still don't know what that machine is. I've sent the link around though to friends, see if someone knows!
It could be a feed masher for livestock.
I think it is a cheese press.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27327/27327-h/2732…
http://www.aloemingauctions.com.ns139.alentus.com…
Nice piece. Hope I helped a bit.
Yes Erik, we like your suggestion very much! Our object looks a lot like the antique cheese press to which you linked. They remind us of those "nodding donkeys" that you see in oil fields in Texas etc.