19th Century Carved, Stained Sycamore Rolling Pin.

19th Century Carved, Stained Sycamore Rolling Pin.

Wales, circa 1850.

The decorative, carved details centred by a vine of leaves and berries between further bands of various foliate and geometric motifs. Used for impressing patterns onto butter or pastry.

Provenance: Purchased Avon Antiques, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, March 1997.

Sycamore was widely used for making rolling pins, as were other native woods such as oak and apple.
In Wales, such rolling pins were sometimes given as part of the Ystafell, or ‘Bidding’, a wedding tradition where, on the Friday before the wedding, household goods were brought to the couple’s home. Richard Bebb writes ‘The celebrations were major social events in the locality, and the gift-giving bound together a wide community, including craftsmen as well as farmers….The public display of the couple’s furniture – new or inherited – underlined the desirability of everyday objects being of good quality and bearing decorative features, and shows why pieces associated with weddings continued to hold attachments for descendants.’ (Richard Bebb, ‘Welsh Furniture’, Volume II, p. 215 and see image)
 

Bibliography:
Richard Bebb, ‘Welsh Furniture’, Volume II, Publisher: Saer Books, 2007.
Edward H. Pinto, ‘Treen and other wooden bygones’, Bell & Hyman, London 1979.

Dimensions

Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Stock number