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Trivets
By the time trivets were introduced to America in the early 1700s, they had been an important part of the European kitchen for years and were available in such elegant metals as polished brass and silver. Here, though, most trivets were made of wrought iron in the simplest possible triangular shape. Refinements like twisted iron, hammered penny feet, or elaborate scrolling were extremely rare.
As our country developed more sophistication, wrought iron gave way to cast iron—a more brittle but more easily molded amalgam—and the simple early designs became fanciful Victorian filigree. The purpose of the trivet changed as well—from permitting hot air to circulate around a kettle or pot in the coals to protecting tabletops and counters from excessive heat.
By the late 1800s, a trivet for the table might bear a likeness of Jenny Lind, a fierce-looking eagle, or a political slogan. Trivets for flatirons often bore advertising slogans, the maker’s name, or a fanciful design. The triangular shape that gave the trivet its name became only one of many designs. Later styles are rectangles, diamonds, ovals, horseshoes, and miniature renditions of traditional shapes. American production peaked around the turn of the century. Trivets made now are almost exclusively reproductions, and may even be cast aluminum.
Collectors can gauge the date of an unidentified trivet by its overall height. As a rule, the taller the leg, the older the trivet. Trivets with a leg height of 1 1/2 inches or more were probably made before 1880; those with 1 1/4-inch legs, before about 1920. If a cross-section of the legs is square or rectangular, T-shaped, half-round, or quarter-round, the piece is typical of castings from around 1865 to 1895. A worn surface is more significant in determining age than worn feet. Bright orange rust indicates fairly recent manufacture. Earlier trivets will have an accumulation of black dust in the crevices.
Trivets are appealing as collectibles because they come in so many designs and styles: hearts, mottos, geometric grids, portraits, botanicals, and more.
As our country developed more sophistication, wrought iron gave way to cast iron—a more brittle but more easily molded amalgam—and the simple early designs became fanciful Victorian filigree. The purpose of the trivet changed as well—from permitting hot air to circulate around a kettle or pot in the coals to protecting tabletops and counters from excessive heat.
By the late 1800s, a trivet for the table might bear a likeness of Jenny Lind, a fierce-looking eagle, or a political slogan. Trivets for flatirons often bore advertising slogans, the maker’s name, or a fanciful design. The triangular shape that gave the trivet its name became only one of many designs. Later styles are rectangles, diamonds, ovals, horseshoes, and miniature renditions of traditional shapes. American production peaked around the turn of the century. Trivets made now are almost exclusively reproductions, and may even be cast aluminum.
Collectors can gauge the date of an unidentified trivet by its overall height. As a rule, the taller the leg, the older the trivet. Trivets with a leg height of 1 1/2 inches or more were probably made before 1880; those with 1 1/4-inch legs, before about 1920. If a cross-section of the legs is square or rectangular, T-shaped, half-round, or quarter-round, the piece is typical of castings from around 1865 to 1895. A worn surface is more significant in determining age than worn feet. Bright orange rust indicates fairly recent manufacture. Earlier trivets will have an accumulation of black dust in the crevices.
Trivets are appealing as collectibles because they come in so many designs and styles: hearts, mottos, geometric grids, portraits, botanicals, and more.
Latest page update: made by kjacobso
, Jun 19 2007, 2:06 PM EDT
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Edited by kjacobso
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Edited by kjacobso
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